girl's name
Madison
MAD-ih-sun
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 484,860
the United States
#40
2025 births
Madison is a name of English origin meaning "son of Maud," a medieval surname formed from the woman's name Maud plus -son. Its use as a girl's first name is recent and is usually traced to the 1984 film Splash, in which a mermaid takes the name from Madison Avenue.
- Madison is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2001, when 22,292 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 668 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Madison started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Madison over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 218 |
| 1890s | 133 |
| 1900s | 125 |
| 1910s | 500 |
| 1920s | 639 |
| 1930s | 431 |
| 1940s | 443 |
| 1950s | 407 |
| 1960s | 329 |
| 1970s | 267 |
| 1980s | 4,461 |
| 1990s | 94,051 |
| 2000s | 194,212 |
| 2010s | 98,857 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 32,602 |
What Madison means
Madison means son of Maud, from the medieval English personal name Maud, itself a form of Matilda meaning "mighty in battle." The name is therefore matronymic rather than patronymic — formed from a mother's name rather than a father's, which was unusual.
Where Madison comes from
Madison is an English surname from Maud, the medieval English form of Matilda, combined with the suffix -son. Matilda comes from the Germanic maht, might, and hild, battle, so the underlying sense is "mighty in battle." Surnames formed from a mother's name were uncommon, which makes Madison notable within English naming. Its transformation into a girl's given name is unusually well documented: the 1984 film Splash features a mermaid who picks the name off a Madison Avenue street sign, a joke premised on the idea that Madison was not a plausible first name — after which it became one, rising sharply through the following decades.
Madison in use
Madison is a rare English surname built from a mother's name rather than a father's.
How popular is Madison?
In 2025, Madison was given to 4,963 babies in the United States, ranking #40 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Madison 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 Madison
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Madison also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Madison over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Madison
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.
Madison 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 Madison
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Madison — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Madison
What does the name Madison mean?
Madison means "son of Maud," from the medieval English form of Matilda.
Why did Madison become a girl's name?
Its use for girls is generally traced to the 1984 film Splash, in which a mermaid takes the name from Madison Avenue.
What are nicknames for Madison?
Maddie and Madi are the most common short forms.
How popular is the name Madison?
In 2025, Madison was given to 4,963 babies in the United States, ranking #40 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Madison?
Madison has 3 syllables.
When was Madison most popular?
Madison peaked in 2001, when 22,292 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Madison a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Madison currently ranks #40 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.