Maverick started as a surname, not a descriptive word. It comes from Samuel Maverick, a Texas rancher from the 1800s. He became associated with cattle that were not branded, which was unusual at the time.
Because of that association, people began using maverick to mean an unbranded calf or animal. Over time, the meaning broadened. Today, it usually describes a person who acts independently and does not follow the group.
- Early use: a maverick calf, meaning an unbranded calf
- Modern use: an independent candidate was seen as a maverick
This is a good example of an eponym, a word that comes from a person’s name. Other eponyms exist in English too, but maverick is especially interesting because its meaning shifted so far from the original cattle context to a broader idea of independence.