boy's name
Maddox
MAD-ux
- Origin Welsh
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 54,239
the United States
#211
2025 births
Maddox means son of Madoc, and Madoc is the prince who supposedly reached America in 1170 — a legend the Tudors found useful, since it would have given England a claim predating Spain's. Our records for the given name begin in 1995.
- Maddox is a name of Welsh origin.
- Peaked in 2017, when 3,147 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,916 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1995.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Maddox over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 69 |
| 2000s | 9,942 |
| 2010s | 26,556 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 12,377 |
What Maddox means
Maddox means son of Madoc. It is a Welsh patronymic surname, so it records descent from a man rather than describing the person carrying it.
Where Maddox comes from
Maddox is the Welsh Madog, generally read as fortunate or generous, with an English patronymic s. Madog ab Owain Gwynedd is the prince of legend said to have sailed to America in 1170 and left Welsh-speaking descendants there. The story is not attested before the sixteenth century, which is when it became politically useful: it would have given England a prior claim to the Americas. Our records for the given name begin in 1995.
Maddox in use
Maddox peaked in the United States in 2017, when 3,147 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 211th in the United States on 1,730 births, 305th in England and Wales on 156, 476th in Scotland on 7 and 499th in Northern Ireland, across 54,239 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. England and Wales set its own peak of 175 births in 2024.
How popular is Maddox?
In 2025, Maddox was given to 1,730 babies in the United States, ranking #211 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Maddox is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Maddox
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Maddox also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Maddox over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Maddox
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Maddox in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Maddox
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Maddox — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Maddox
What does the name Maddox mean?
Son of Madoc — a Welsh patronymic surname.
Who was Prince Madoc?
A legendary prince said to have reached America in 1170. The story is not attested before the sixteenth century.
Why did the Tudors like the story?
It would have given England a claim to the Americas predating Spain's.
How popular is Maddox?
211th in the United States and 305th in England and Wales.
Is Maddox a girl's or a boy's name?
Maddox is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Maddox?
Maddox has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Maddox?
Maddox is usually shortened to Maddy.
Is Maddox a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Maddox currently ranks #211 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.