Madison

English
"son of Matthew"

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.

# 36 in the US

Madison Rank in US Top 1000

# 426 on Nameberry

Madison Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Madison Popularity

Famous People Named Madison

  • Madison Nicole "Maddie" Ziegler
    American actress and dancer on TV's "Dance Moms".
  • Madison Elle Beer
    American singer.
  • Madison Michelle Pettis
    American actress.
  • Madison Rose De La Garza
    American actress.
  • Madison Carabello
    American actress; twin of Miranda Carabello.
  • Madison Hubbell
    American ice dancer.
  • Madison Chock
    American ice dancer.
  • Madison McLaughlin
    American actress.
  • Madison Rayne
    ring name of Ashley Nichole Cabot, American pro wrestler.
  • Madison Hu
    American actress.
  • Madison Brengle
    American tennis player.
  • Madison Keys
    American tennis player.
  • Madison Danielle Davenport
    American actress.
  • Madison McReynolds
    American actress.
  • (Jessica) Madison Wright Morris
    American actress
  • Madison Lintz
    American actress
  • Madison Wilson
    Australian swimmer.
  • Madison Taylor Kocian
    American gymnast.
  • Madison Bailey
    American actress
  • Madison Justice
    sister 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

  • Madison
    self,named mermaid in film "Splash"
  • Madison North (Beardsley)
    character on American soap "All My Children"
  • Madison the Magic Show Fairy
    character in the Rainbow Magic series
  • Madison Montgomery
    character on TV's "American Horror Story: Coven"
  • Madison Clark
    main character on TV's "Fear the Walking Dead"
  • Madison 'Maddie' Rooney
    character on TV's "Liv and Maddie"
  • Madison Rocca
    Blue Ranger on TV's "Power Rangers Mystic Force"
  • Madison Duarte
    character on TV's "South of Nowhere"
  • Madison Taylor aka Tomoyo Daidouji
    character in anime "Cardcaptor Sakura"
  • Madison Paige
    character in video game "Heavy Rain"
  • Madison Sinclair
    minor character on TV's "Veronica Mars"
  • Madison McCarthy
    cheerleader on TV's "Glee;" twin of Mason McCarthy
  • Madison Finn
    title character in "From The Files of Madison Finn" by Laura Dower
  • Madison VanWatson
    character in "The Sims 3" computer game
  • Madison "Maddie" Young
    character in film "Hush"
  • Madison Payne
    a character from the Nickelodeon cartoon "Welcome To The Wayne"
  • Madison
    character in film "A Cinderella Story"

Madison in Nameberry Forums