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Madison Name Meaning, Origins & History

Madison

Pronunciation: MAD-ih-sun

Meaning Son of the mighty warrior Origin surnames Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#40
TREND
6
BOYS RANK
#5,328
TREND
2,026
Peak Years
2001, 2002, 2004
Lowest Years
1971, 1975, 1981
Energy Archetype
Hardworking & Dutiful

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Madison in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Madison

  • An established favorite: Madison held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 33 consecutive years, from 1993 through 2025.
  • Still popular, but losing ground: Madison's rank fell 11 places between 1995 and 2025, while remaining in the top 100.
  • More than 427 thousand babies named Madison: U.S. records list 427,623 babies given the name Madison from 1880 through 2025. Even 7,870 boys received the name Madison - about 1 boy for every 53 girls.

What Does the Name Madison Mean?

Madison is an English surname used as a given name. It is a matronymic surname meaning 'son of Maud,' formed from a pet form of the female personal name Maud and the patronymic suffix -son. Maud was a medieval English form of Matilda, which comes from the Germanic name Mahthildis, built from elements meaning 'might, strength' and 'battle.' The literal surname meaning is therefore 'son of Maud'; 'mighty in battle' is the meaning of the root name Matilda, not of Madison itself.

A less common explanation connects the first element to the medieval name Matthew, which could also be shortened to Mad or Maddy. The usual derivation, however, is from Maud, and the uncertainty concerns the exact pet form behind the surname rather than the basic patronymic pattern.

Madison Name History & Origins

Madison began as an English surname. Surnames ending in -son were common in medieval England, and Madison followed the pattern of identifying a man as the son of a woman called Maud, Madde, or Maddy. The personal name behind it was common in England after the Norman Conquest, when Maud was introduced from Old French forms such as Mahaut and Mahalt.

The surname is best known in America through James Madison (1751 - 1836), the fourth president of the United States, whose Virginia family had used the Madison surname. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Madison also appeared as a male given name in the United States.

A famous later use is the character Madison in the 1984 film Splash, a mermaid who chooses the name after seeing a New York street sign for Madison Avenue. The name was not invented for the film; it existed earlier as a surname and as a given name. In the late 20th century, Madison was used increasingly as a girl's name in the United States.

How Popular is the Name Madison?

Madison remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1993 to 2025. Its highest annual birth count was in 2001, and people born that year turn 25 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Madison

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Most Popular Girl Names at All Time

Most Popular Girl Names of All Time

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Established Girl Names: Favorites Through the Years

Falling Favorite Girl Names

Falling Baby Names: Favorites Losing Popularity

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How the Name Madison Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Madison's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Madison's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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