The name Maury finds its origins in the Latin name Mauritius, which itself is derived from the Latin word "Maurus," meaning "Moorish" or "dark-skinned." The name Mauritius was initially used to describe people from Mauritania, a region in northwestern Africa that is now part of modern-day Morocco and western Algeria.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Maury can be traced back to the 3rd century CE, when it was used by Saint Maurice, a Roman soldier and leader of the legendary Theban Legion. Saint Maurice and his soldiers were martyred in the late 3rd century for refusing to renounce their Christian faith.

During the Middle Ages, the name Maury gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France and England. One notable bearer of the name was Maurice, Prince of Orange (1567-1625), a prominent military commander during the Eighty Years' War between the Netherlands and Spain.

In the 17th century, the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, named the Mississippi River after the French regent, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, whose middle name was Maury. This helped to further solidify the name's place in history.

Other famous individuals with the name Maury include Maury Maverick (1895-1954), an American politician and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas, and Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873), an American naval officer and pioneering oceanographer known as the "Pathfinder of the Seas."

In the 20th century, Maury Wills (born 1932) was an American professional baseball player who was a key member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' championship teams in the 1960s. Another notable figure was Maury Povich (born 1939), an American television host and news presenter best known for hosting the talk show "Maury."