Madison
Madison is a surname of English origin that has become a popular given name in the United States, and to a lesser extent in Canada. Madison, also spelled Maddison, is a variant of Mathieson, meaning son of Matthew. It may also have come from son of Maddy, Maddy being a diminutive of Maud.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Madison
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Madison is a surname of English origin that has become a popular given name in the United States, and to a lesser extent in Canada. Madison, also spelled Maddison, is a variant of Mathieson, meaning son of Matthew. It may also have come from son of Maddy, Maddy being a diminutive of Maud.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Madison
American parents first put Madison on the record books as a baby girl name in 1970, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 22,166 Madisons were born — ranking #2 that year. About 46% of every Madison on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Madison ranks #49 for baby girls with 4,299 births, falling sharply (-28%). All told, over 424K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Madison
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Madison. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Madison
Phonetically similar names — useful when Madison is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Madison
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About the name Madison
Madison is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 424K births in the dataset. Madison's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #2. Use the chart and map above to compare Madison's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2001 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.