Mauz

This rare name received national attention in 2021 when actor Frankie Muniz and his wife Paige named their son Mauz Mosley. The variation they used stems from the Hebrew word Mauzzim, literally translating to "fortresses" (mauz would be the singular, "fortress"). Some versions of the Bible interpret Mauzzim in context as "God's protectors."

Mauz is also a common German surname derived from the Old High German word for mouse, mus. In ancient times, Maus was a nickname for mousy or timid people and eventually evolved into a surname for some. Separately, it is a common surname among Ashkenazi Jews, who were one of the last cultures in Western and Central Europe to adopt surnames. The government assigned surnames to many Jewish families in the 18th and 19th centuries, some, like Maus, with intentionally derogatory meanings. Mauser and Meisel are related surnames.

Pronounced MOWZ.