E. De Felice notes that this surname derives from the name Maurizio, which in turn continues the imperial Latin cognomen and nomen Mauricius or Mauritius, forms derived from Maurus. Its diffusion in the Middle Ages was due mainly to the cult of Saint Maurice, a martyr of the 3rd century.

E. Rossoni agrees on the Late Latin and Byzantine etymon Mauricius or Mauritius, and contributes that the form is documented in the Placito of Bassano of the year 998. He adds that Maurizi is typical of central Italy, while Maurizio shows differentiated areas of presence: in Veneto, in the Savona area, in Abruzzo and in Molise, and in the Bari area.

De Felice, for his part, notes that the variants Maurigi and Maurici correspond to Sicily, and that the form Maurizi has a greater frequency in Emilia-Romagna.