Maiden
A surname that can be locational or a nickname, originally linked either to places called Maiden or to the idea of a maiden, serving woman, or young woman.
The #8,456 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,064 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained in two ways. It may be locational, from places named Maiden such as Maiden Bradley or Maiden Newton in southern England, with the place-name itself probably referring to the Virgin Mary or to a local landmark. It may also be a nickname or occupational-by-association name from Middle English maiden, meaning a young woman, unmarried woman, or female servant.
History
The historical record suggests both place-based and descriptive uses, and older writers did not always separate them cleanly. One early bearer appears as Adam le Maiden, which supports nickname-style use, while later spellings such as Maidment show how the name could develop into related surname forms. The surname is not especially common today, but it has persisted in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some 19th-century surname writers thought Maiden could point to someone associated with a church or place-name connected with the Virgin Mary, not just to an unmarried woman.
From the historical record
“some reference to the worship of the Virgin. MAIDEN. A parish on the borders of Wilts and Somerset, better known as Maiden-Bradley. There is also a Maiden- Newton in CO. Dorset; and in Scotland various places bear this designation. But it would api^ear that the name was some- times used as a sobriquet, for in the…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom