maverick

Etymology

First recorded in 1867,^[1][2] originally meaning “a calf or yearling found without an owner's brand”,^[3] after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–1870), a Texas cattle owner who left the calves of his herd unbranded.^[2][4] The sense “unconventional, independent person” is said to be attested by 1886, through the notion of “masterless”.^[3]

The American Heritage Dictionary also considers as a possible source the English-born colonist Samuel Maverick (1602?–1676?).^[5]

References

1. [1] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
2. [1] [2] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. [1] [2] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. [1] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
5. [1] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin