| Madison | |
| Gender: | Male and female |
|---|---|
| Origin: | English |
| Meaning: | Son of Maud |
Traditionally, Madison was a surname, meaning son of Maud (Reaney & Wilson, 1997). "Maud" is a pet form of Matilda.[1] Madison (often shortened to Maddie) has become a very popular female given name in the United States. There is a curious story behind this popularity: According to the Social Security Administration's statistics, from a practically non-existent girl's name before 1985, Madison rose to being the second most popular name given to female babies in 2002. A possible reason for this phenomenal rise in popularity is the 1984 movie Splash, where Daryl Hannah played a mermaid who adopted the name 'Madison' after seeing a Madison Avenue street sign. When the selection is made, Tom Hanks' character says "but Madison isn't a name!" Madison is also a male given name. According to the Social Security Administration, Madison can be found within the top 1,000 names for boys up until about 1952. Madison returned to the top 1,000 ranked boy's names in 1987, remaining there through 1999, and it also was the 858th most common boys' name in 2004, but it remains uncommon as a male given name in the United States.
Persons with the surname Madison:
James Madison, President of the United States
- Dolley Madison, the wife of James Madison
- George Madison, a governor of Kentucky
- Guy Madison, actor
- Helene Madison, swimmer
- Holly Madison, model/actress
- James Madison, first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, eighth president of the College of William and Mary, cousin of the U.S. president
- James G. Madison, convicted New Jersey bank robber known as the "Mad Hatter"
- James Jonas Madison, naval commander
- James Madison, Sr., father of the U.S. president
- Joe Madison, activist
- Kelly Madison, adult film actress
- Martha Madison, actress
- Sam Madison, American football player
- Talia Madison, professional wrestler
- Tianna Madison, African American athlete
Persons with the given name Madison
- Madison Smartt Bell, novelist
- Madison Cawein, poet
- Madison Cooper, American businessman
- Madison Cross, singer/actress
- Madison Hedgecock, American football player
- Madison Jones, author
- Madison Grant, lawyer, eugenicist, and conservationist
- Madison Nguyen, American politician
- Madison Robinson, Character in Australian soap opera Neighbours
- Madison S. Perry, fourth Governor of Florida
- Madison Stone, adult film actress
- Madison Washington, instigator of slave revolt
References
Reaney, P.J. & Wilson, R.N. (1997) A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press.
- An November 2002 essay on the sudden popularity of the name Madison.
- [2] September 21, 2003 column in the Washington Post lamenting the use of Madison as a female given name.
- Social Security Administration - Popular Baby Names
