Boy · #3,861 in 2026

Mads

Mads is a male given name, a Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Scandinavian form of the English name Matthew. Notable people with the name include:

Current Rank
#3,861
Peak Rank
#3,648 (2021)
Total Babies
283
5-Yr Trend
+34%
2011
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#3648
Peak Rank
283
Total Count
15
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mads

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Mads is a male given name, a Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Scandinavian form of the English name Matthew. Notable people with the name include:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Mads

Mads first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2011, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 30 Madss were born — ranking #3,648 that year. As of 2026, Mads ranks #3,861 for baby boys with 29 births, rising sharply (+34% over the past five years). In total, more than 283 Madss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Mads

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mads is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Meds
  • Moods
  • Maids
  • Mids
  • Mods
  • Modes
  • Muds
  • Mades
  • Meads
  • Medes
  • Meeds
  • Mauds

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mads

What does the name Mads mean?
Mads is a male given name, a Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Scandinavian form of the English name Matthew. Notable people with the name include:
How popular is Mads in 2026?
In 2026, Mads ranks #3,861 among boys' names in the U.S., with 29 babies given the name that year.
When was Mads most popular?
Mads reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #3,648 that year with 30 babies given the name.
Is Mads a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Mads is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Mads?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mads include Tycho, Ioane, Khalon. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Mads

Mads is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2011 and has accumulated 283 births in the dataset. Mads's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #3,648. Use the chart and map above to compare Mads's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.