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Madison

English
"son of Matthew"
Brynn McKeon
By Brynn McKeon
Updated Mon Apr 22 2024

Madison Origin and Meaning

The name Madison is a girl's name of English origin meaning "son of Matthew".

Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a mermaid named Madison in the 1980s movie Splash.

Madison originated as an English surname, a variant of Mathieson, meaning "son of Matthew." It is occasionally translated as "son of Maud," as Maddy was historically a nickname for Maud. It was introduced as a feminine given name when the mermaid character in Splash takes her name from a street sign on New York’s Madison Avenue..

Madison ranked in the Top 10 for nearly 20 years, from the late 1990s until 2015, and has been on a gradual decline since then. But there are still more than 5000 baby girls named Madison in the US each year (along with a few dozen baby boys).

Madison’s longtime popularity can be credited to its connection to several of the hottest naming trends of the 21st century so far. It’s a place name, the capital of Wisconsin, ala Savannah and Sienna. It’s also a surname with an Old Money veneer in the vein of Addison and Emerson that feels gender-neutral even if it’s not.

And it may have felt like a fresh way to get to the popular nickname Maddie or Maddy, though the classic Madelyn may have more staying power.

# 34 in the US

Madison Rank in US Top 1000

# 477 on Nameberry

Madison Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Madison Popularity

Famous People Named Madison

  • Madison Nicole "Maddie" ZieglerAmerican actress and dancer on TV's "Dance Moms".
  • Madison Elle BeerAmerican singer.
  • Madison Michelle PettisAmerican actress.
  • Madison Rose De La GarzaAmerican actress.
  • Madison CarabelloAmerican actress; twin of Miranda Carabello.
  • Madison HubbellAmerican ice dancer.
  • Madison ChockAmerican ice dancer.
  • Madison McLaughlinAmerican actress.
  • Madison Raynering name of Ashley Nichole Cabot, American pro wrestler.
  • Madison HuAmerican actress.
  • Madison BrengleAmerican tennis player.
  • Madison KeysAmerican tennis player.
  • Madison Danielle DavenportAmerican actress.
  • Madison McReynoldsAmerican actress.
  • (Jessica) Madison Wright MorrisAmerican actress
  • Madison LintzAmerican actress
  • Madison WilsonAustralian swimmer.
  • Madison Taylor KocianAmerican gymnast.
  • Madison BaileyAmerican actress
  • Madison Justicesister of American actress Victoria Justice.
  • Madison Cross (b. 1992)American singer; daughter of singer Christopher Cross.
  • Madison Clapp (b. 1996)daughter of actor/TV personality Johnny Knoxville.
  • Madison "Maddie" Brown (b. 1997)daughter of reality TV's Kody & Jenelle Brown ("Sister Wives").
  • Madison Alani Anoa'i (b. 2003)daughter of wrestler Rosey.
  • Madison Elizabeth McMahon (b. 2000)daughter of actor Julian McMahon and model Brooke Burns.
  • Madison Mychal Quick (b. 2010)daughter of ice hockey player Jonathan Quick.
  • Madison Brown Belafonte (b. 2011)daughter of Spice Girl Melanie Brown and Stephen Belafonte.
  • Madison Mary Harper McGrath (b. 2015)daughter of cricketer Glenn McGrath.
  • Sadie Madison Sandler (b. 2006)daughter of actor Adam Sandler and Jacqueline Titone.
  • Violet Madison Nash (b. 2010)daughter of actress Christina Milian and rapper The Dream.

Madison in Pop Culture

  • Madisonself,named mermaid in film "Splash"
  • Madison North (Beardsley)character on American soap "All My Children"
  • Madison the Magic Show Fairycharacter in the Rainbow Magic series
  • Madison Montgomerycharacter on TV's "American Horror Story: Coven"
  • Madison Clarkmain character on TV's "Fear the Walking Dead"
  • Madison 'Maddie' Rooneycharacter on TV's "Liv and Maddie"
  • Madison RoccaBlue Ranger on TV's "Power Rangers Mystic Force"
  • Madison Duartecharacter on TV's "South of Nowhere"
  • Madison Taylor aka Tomoyo Daidoujicharacter in anime "Cardcaptor Sakura"
  • Madison Paigecharacter in video game "Heavy Rain"
  • Madison Sinclairminor character on TV's "Veronica Mars"
  • Madison McCarthycheerleader on TV's "Glee;" twin of Mason McCarthy
  • Madison Finntitle character in "From The Files of Madison Finn" by Laura Dower
  • Madison VanWatsoncharacter in "The Sims 3" computer game
  • Madison "Maddie" Youngcharacter in film "Hush"
  • Madison Paynea character from the Nickelodeon cartoon "Welcome To The Wayne"
  • Madisoncharacter in film "A Cinderella Story"

Madison in Nameberry Blog Posts