Mazi
A masculine Nigerian name meaning "great one" or "ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 1,117 living Americans carry the first name Mazi. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Mazi today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mazi births was 2023 (217 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mazi. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Mazi is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 6 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 306,853 Americans
Peak year
2023
217 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,210
Tracked since 1977
Gender
Gender distribution for Mazi
Mazi leans heavily male at 82.7% of total registrations, but 195 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Mazi as a male name
- Ranked #1,210 in 2024
- 167 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (198 births)
Mazi as a female name
- Ranked #10,765 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (22 births)
Popularity
Mazi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mazi from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 826 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mazi by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mazi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mazis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 18 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, Florida recorded the most babies named Mazi, while Pennsylvania, Kentucky, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 36 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mazi
The name Mazi is believed to have originated from the Igbo language spoken in southeastern Nigeria. The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, and their language dates back several centuries.
According to linguistic experts, the name Mazi is derived from the Igbo word "ezi," which means "good" or "virtuous." The prefix "ma" is a respectful title added to the name, similar to the English prefix "Mr." or "Master." Thus, the name Mazi can be interpreted as "Good Master" or "Virtuous Master."
While the exact origin of the name is unclear, it is believed to have been used by the Igbo people for centuries as a name bestowed upon respected elders or leaders in the community. The name may have been given to individuals who demonstrated exceptional wisdom, integrity, or leadership qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mazi can be found in the writings of Olaudah Equiano, a former slave who published his autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," in 1789. In his work, Equiano mentions encountering a man named Mazi during his travels in West Africa.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Mazi. One of the most famous was Mazi Nwafor Orizu (1888-1953), a Nigerian politician and educator who played a significant role in the country's independence movement. Orizu served as the president of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, a prominent political organization that advocated for Nigerian self-governance.
Another prominent figure was Mazi Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904-1996), a renowned Nigerian statesman and a leading figure in the struggle for Nigerian independence. Azikiwe served as the first President of Nigeria after the country gained independence from British rule in 1960.
In the field of literature, Mazi Nwachukwu Anyo (1918-2006) was a renowned Nigerian poet and playwright. His works, such as "The Tragedy of Anowa" and "The Old Dance," explored themes of cultural identity and the clash between traditional and modern values.
Mazi Okoro Nkem (1938-2018) was a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Mazi Group of Companies, a conglomerate with interests in various sectors, including oil and gas, construction, and hospitality.
While the name Mazi is primarily associated with the Igbo people of Nigeria, it has also been adopted by individuals of other ethnic backgrounds, particularly those with connections to West African culture and history.
People
Mazi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mazi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mazi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mazi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mazi going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 306,853 US residents.
Is Mazi a common name?
We classify Mazi as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,125 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mazi most popular?
The single biggest year for Mazi was 2023, when 217 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mazi is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mazi a male name?
Yes, 82.7% of people registered as Mazi in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.