What is mothers maiden name meaning?

A mother's maiden name refers to the surname of a woman before she is married. It is commonly used as a security question or identifier in various applications, such as in banking or government forms. The use of the mother's maiden name as a security measure has been around for decades, as it is considered to be a piece of personal information that is generally difficult for criminals to obtain. The practice came about as a way to verify identity, particularly for women who may have changed their last name after marriage. Nowadays, it is still widely used, although the concept of gender equality has led to the use of other security questions that are not gender-specific.