Girl name · English
Madison
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: from a surname meaning son of Matthew or son of MaudMadison is a girl's name that comes from an English surname meaning "son of Matthew or son of Maud". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- From a surname meaning son of Matthew or son of Maud
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #40 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Madison
As a girl's name, Madison comes from an English surname meaning "son of Matthew or son of Maud". It is used in English.
Madison is also a surname: the 1,272nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 27,036 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Madison?
- US rank in 2025
- #40
- 4,945 babies, 3,077 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2 in 2001
- 22,166 babies that year
- Babies since 1970
- At least 419,806
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 221 per million |
| 1990s | 5,104 per million |
| 2000s | 10,458 per million |
| 2010s | 5,624 per million |
| 2020s | 3,333 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15 | #17 | #22 | #26 | #23 | #29 | #34 | #37 | #45 | #40 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Madison
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Maddiecommon English nickname
- Maddycommon English nickname
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
- AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- KennedyFrom an Irish surname, from Cennétig, armoured or misshapen head (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
- NolanFrom an Irish surname derived from nuall, famous, loud (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- XimenaFeminine of Ximeno, a medieval Spanish name of uncertain meaning (Spanish, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AmariMeaning uncertain, perhaps from Arabic Ammar (Arabic, unisex)
Middle names for Madison
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- AmoraApparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor, love (English, girl)
- AutumnFall season (English, girl)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
- BriarThorny wild shrub (English, girl)
- BrynleeVariant of Brinley, a blend of Bryn and lee (English, girl)
- CallaCalla lily (English, girl)
- DarleneDarling (English, girl)
- DeiseDay's eye, the daisy (English, girl)
- EbonyBlack wood (English, girl)
Madison: common questions
What does the name Madison mean?
Madison comes from an English surname meaning "son of Matthew or son of Maud". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Madison a boy or girl name?
Madison is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 4,945 girls and 18 boys in the US were named Madison, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Madison?
Common nicknames for Madison include Maddie and Maddy.
How popular is the name Madison?
Madison ranked #40 in the US in 2025, with 4,945 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Madison?
Middle names that flow well with Madison include Agnes, Aoife, Dawn, Gwen and Ivy. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.