Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Madison

Madison originated as a metronymic surname (i.e., passed from maternal ancestors), from the medieval female name “Madde” which was another form of Maud. Maud, in turn, is a colloquial form of Matilda (Latin) from the Germanic words “maht” (might) and “hild” (battle). Patronymic (passed from the father) surnames were much more common in the patriarchal society of medieval England when surnames came into circulation, but occasionally metronymic surnames were used (most likely in the case of an absent father or a more class-significant mother). Madison is one of the rare examples of this occurrence. Madison was originally given to boys in the United States in honor of the 4th U.S. President, James Madison, who was one of the country’s Founding Fathers. However, American parents rediscovered this hidden gem for their little daughters in the 1980s. As it rapidly became ϋber-trendy for baby girls, its appeal diminished for baby boys. Today the name is considered almost exclusively female. Americans have also influenced usage of Madison among our fellow English-speaking countries. While it’s still ranked highest in the U.S., Madison is also quite popular in Canada and (to a lesser extent) Australia. The name is also a Top 100 choice for baby girls in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

All About the Baby Name – Madison

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME MADISON

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME MADISON

As mentioned above, the name Madison was originally bestowed upon males. It’s another example of parents hijacking a popular, androgynous name for boys and giving it to girls with such higher frequency that it eventually becomes overly feminized. This is exactly what happened with Madison. At this point, we don’t even consider it unisex anymore. The name has not been used for boys’ since 2004, and even then, it was hanging on by a thread. Madison as a girls’ name, on the other hand, came into use in 1985. This might have been influenced by the massively popular movie “Splash” (1984). Daryl Hannah played a mermaid named Madison (a name she chose quickly after spotting a Madison Avenue street sign). Within 10 short years, Madison made her way to the Top 10 list. It’s a wildly popular name right now, and has been for a decade. As such, Madison has become the poster child name for a new generation of parents. It’s bordering on cliché but its popularity is holding strong. Surnames meaning “son of” are typically more common for boys (for obvious reasons), but Madison, Addison, Emerson and Ellison are examples of girls bucking this trend. However, Madison is the only metronymic of these surnames, so at least she has that going for her. And who says you can’t end your daughter’s name with a “son” suffix? What about Alison?

Quick Facts

ON MADISON

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

9

PRONUNCIATION:

MAD-ә-sin

SIMPLE MEANING:

Mighty battle

Characteristics

OF MADISON

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Madison

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MADISON

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Madison

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MADISON

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Madison


Popular Songs

ON MADISON

Madison Blues
a song by Fleetwood Mac

Famous People

NAMED MADISON

We cannot find any popular celebrities or famous people with the first name Madison.
We cannot find any popular celebrities or famous people with the first name Madison.
We cannot find any popular celebrities or famous people with the first name Madison.

Children of Famous People

NAMED MADISON

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Madison

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MADISON

Yes, we know that "Madison" is his last name, but we wanted to throw him in here given his obvious influence on the popularity of the name Madison as a given name in America. James Madison was one of our Founding Fathers, a Congress member, the Secretary of State under Jefferson and finally the 4th President of the United States. He had a shy, reserved personality, but also a bawdy sense of humor. He is known for being on the winning side of almost all political arguments given his keen intellect and his thorough preparedness. His Presidency is probably most defined by the War of 1812 against the British. The war begins badly (the United States had twenty ships to Britain’s one-thousand!) Just as America is about to lose, General Andrew Jackson leads his rag-tag army to victory in the Battle of New Orleans. Madison is also known for his vivacious, popular wife, Dolley Madison.

Yes, we know that "Madison" is his last name, but we wanted to throw him in here given his obvious influence on the popularity of the name Madison as a given name in America. James Madison was one of our Founding Fathers, a Congress member, the Secretary of State under Jefferson and finally the 4th President of the United States. He had a shy, reserved personality, but also a bawdy sense of humor. He is known for being on the winning side of almost all political arguments given his keen intellect and his thorough preparedness. His Presidency is probably most defined by the War of 1812 against the British. The war begins badly (the United States had twenty ships to Britain’s one-thousand!) Just as America is about to lose, General Andrew Jackson leads his rag-tag army to victory in the Battle of New Orleans. Madison is also known for his vivacious, popular wife, Dolley Madison.

Yes, we know that "Madison" is his last name, but we wanted to throw him in here given his obvious influence on the popularity of the name Madison as a given name in America. James Madison was one of our Founding Fathers, a Congress member, the Secretary of State under Jefferson and finally the 4th President of the United States. He had a shy, reserved personality, but also a bawdy sense of humor. He is known for being on the winning side of almost all political arguments given his keen intellect and his thorough preparedness. His Presidency is probably most defined by the War of 1812 against the British. The war begins badly (the United States had twenty ships to Britain’s one-thousand!) Just as America is about to lose, General Andrew Jackson leads his rag-tag army to victory in the Battle of New Orleans. Madison is also known for his vivacious, popular wife, Dolley Madison.