Madison
A surname meaning “Maud’s son” or, in some lines, a form related to Matthew’s son.
The #1,241 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,867 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually explained as a patronymic or matronymic built on the medieval given name Maud, a short form of Matilda, giving the sense “Maud’s son.” Some 19th-century surname writers also treated Madison as a variant of Maddison or as connected with Matthew, so the name can reflect more than one underlying tradition. In practice, it is an English surname that likely arose from a parent’s name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
The historical dictionaries supplied here repeatedly link Madison with Maddison and with the older name Maudson. This points to an English surname that developed as spelling shifted and regional pronunciation changed. In the United States, Madison later became familiar as a surname and, especially since the 19th century, also as a popular given name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because of its overlap with the given name Madison, the surname is sometimes hard to distinguish from later first-name use in records.
From the historical record
“MADDISON 1 I Maud's Son :v. Maud. MADISON J 2 = Mattison, q.v. MADDOCKS'l (A.-Celt.) Maddock's (Son) : MADDOX Jv. Maddook MADEWELL(Epg.) Dweller at the Meadow- Well [O.E. mddd, meadow + im»lle\ MADGE, V. Mafegs ' MAPIN = Madden, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)