Madison

Madison is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the English surname Madison, which itself comes from a patronymic meaning "son of Matthew" or "son of Maud" (where Maddy is a diminutive of Maud).

The rise of Madison as a popular first name is largely attributed to the 1984 film Splash, in which the protagonist, a mermaid, adopts the name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. Before the film, Madison was virtually unused as a given name for girls in the United States. However, its popularity skyrocketed in the following decades. By 2001, Madison had become the second-most-popular name for newborn girls in the United States, representing an unprecedented increase of about 550,000% in usage. Since then, its popularity has declined but remained in the top 100; as of 2024, it ranked 46th for girls. In Canada, Madison was the 41st most popular name for girls in 2022.

Etymology and Historical Context

As a surname, Madison is a variant of Maddison, which is derived from the medieval English patronymic Mathieson, meaning "son of Matthew." Matthew itself comes from the Hebrew name Matthew (Mattityahu), meaning "gift of Yahweh." Alternatively, Madison may have originated as a matronymic from Maud, a medieval form of Matilda, via the diminutive Maddy. The surname is first recorded in writing in the 14th century.

As a masculine given name, Madison was used in the United States up until about 1952, occasionally appearing within the top 1,000 names for boys. The name later returned to the top 1,000 masculine names in the 2000s, although it is more commonly associated with females today. A famous bearer of the surname is James Madison (1751–1836), the fourth President of the United States and one of the principal authors of the U.S. Constitution. Madison Avenue in New York City is named after him.

Variants and Derivatives

Madison has several variant spellings, including Maddison, Madisyn, and Madyson. Common diminutives include Maddie, Maddy, and Madi.

• Meaning: "son of Matthew" or "son of Maud"
• Origin: English; derived from a surname
• Type: Given name, predominantly feminine
• Usage regions: United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries