Madison
Unisex nameEnglish
✨ Meaning
Madison is an English surname meaning 'son of Maud' or 'son of Matthew,' depending on which medieval given name lies behind it. Maud itself comes from Matilda, from Germanic elements meaning might and battle. The name therefore has a female personal name buried inside a patronymic, which is a fitting piece of history for a surname that became overwhelmingly feminine.
🌍 Origin
Madison was an ordinary English surname, borne in the United States by the fourth president, and was almost never used as a first name until the 1980s. A single film in 1984 gave it to a character and prompted a rise so rapid that it became one of the defining girls' names of the following two decades, a rare case where a name's takeoff can be dated precisely.
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⭐ Famous People Named Madison
- Madison Keys
- Madison Beer
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does Madison mean?
Madison means 'son of Maud' or 'son of Matthew,' an English patronymic surname.
Why did Madison become a girls' name?
A 1984 film gave the name to a female character, and its use for girls rose sharply from that point, one of the clearest cases of a datable naming shift.
Is Madison related to Matilda?
Indirectly. Maud, one of the names behind Madison, is a medieval form of Matilda.