Maeda (前田 lit. "front rice field") is a Japanese surname. An archaic romanization (sometimes used by the Japanese diaspora in their home countries) includes Mayeda. It can refer to:

• Maeda Toshimasa, daimyō, vassal of Oda Nobuhide
• Maeda Toshiie, son of Maeda Toshimasa, famous as million-koku daimyō
• Maeda Toshinaga, eldest son of Maeda Toshiie
• Maeda Toshitsune, brother and heir to Maeda Toshinaga
• Maeda Keiji, nephew of Maeda Toshiie by Toshihisa Maeda
• Marquis Toshinari Maeda, World War II general

• Ai Maeda (voice actress) (前田 愛, born 1975), voice actress
• Ai Maeda (actress) (前田 愛, born 1983), actress
• Aki Maeda (前田 亜季, born 1985), actress and singer
• Akira Maeda (born 1959), professional wrestler
• Atsuko Maeda (前田 敦子, born 1991), actress and singer
• Daisuke Maeda (前田 大介), Japanese Paralympic swimmer
• Daizen Maeda (前田 大然, born 1997), Japanese footballer
• Maeda Genzō (前田 玄造, 1831–1906), early photographer
• Gōki Maeda (前田 公輝, born 1991), actor
• Gordon Maeda (born 2000), Japanese–American actor
• Hiroshi Maeda (前田 浩, born 1961), stuntman and suit actor
• Hiroshi Maeda (chemist) (前田浩, 1938–2021), chemist known for EPR effect
• Hirotake Maeda, historian
• Honami Maeda (前田 穂南, born 1996), Japanese long-distance runner
• John Maeda, graphic designer and computer scientist
• Jun Maeda (前田 浩, born 1975), writer, lyricist, composer
• Kaoru Maeda (前田 薫, born 1969), professional wrestler
• Kazuhiro Maeda (前田 和浩, born 1981), long-distance runner
• Kenjiro Maeda (前田 健滋朗, born 1990), Japanese basketball coach
• Kenta Maeda (前田 健太, born 1988), baseball pitcher
• Kentaro Maeda (前田 拳太郎, born 1999), actor, portrays Ikki Igarashi in Kamen Rider Revice
• Mahiro Maeda (前田 真宏, born 1963), artist, writer and director of anime
• Michiko Maeda (前田 通子, born 1934), film and television actress
• Mitsuyo Maeda (前田 光世, 1878–1941), judoka, fundamental to the creation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Miyu Maeda (前田 美優, born 1996), Japanese table tennis player
• Miyuki Maeda (前田 美順, born 1985), Japanese badminton player
• Mutsuhiko Maeda (前田 睦彦, born 1947), Japanese speed skater
• Naoki Maeda (disambiguation), multiple people
• Nobuaki Maeda (前田 陳爾, 1907–1975), Japanese go player
• Nobuteru Maeda (前田 亘輝, born 1965), singer-songwriter
• Nobuyo Maeda (前田 信代), geneticist and medical researcher
• Norio Maeda (前田 憲男, 1934–2018), Japanese jazz composer and pianist
• Ryoichi Maeda (前田 遼一, born 1981), Japanese footballer
• Seison Maeda (前田 青邨, 1885–1977), Nihonga painter
• Shinsaku Maeda (前田 新, born 1952), Japanese golfer
• Shinzo Maeda (前田 真三, 1922–1998), photographer
• Steven Maeda, television writer
• Tadashi Maeda (disambiguation), multiple people
• Tatsuyuki Maeda (前田 龍之, born 1968), video game composer
• Terunobu Maeda (前田 晃伸, born 1945), Japanese banker and chief executive
• Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (前田 万葉, born 1949), Cardinal of the Catholic Church
• Toshio Maeda (前田 俊夫, born 1953), Japanese manga artist
• Yonezō Maeda (前田 米蔵, 1888–1954), politician, cabinet minister
• Yuki Maeda (前田 有紀, born 1979), Japanese enka singer
• Yuuka Maeda (前田 憂佳, born 1994), member of Jpop group S/mileage

• Maeda (Asobi Asobase), from the manga series Asobi Asobase
• Akira Maeda, a character in the manga Cromartie High School
• Ema Maeda, from Love Hina
• Hayato Maeda (Chumley Huffington), from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
• Kunihiko Maeda, from the Parasite Eve video game
• Kazuya Maeda, from Photo Kano

• Maeda Corporation, a holding company
• Maeda Industries (formerly Maeda Iron Works Company), a manufacturer of SunTour bicycle drive-train components