Madsen
A Danish and Norwegian surname meaning “son of Mads,” with Mads as a local form of Matthew.
The #2,083 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,781 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Madsen is a patronymic surname built from the given name Mads plus the ending -sen, meaning “son of.” Mads is a Scandinavian form of Matthew, ultimately from Hebrew Matityahu, meaning “gift of God.” So the surname originally identified someone as the son of a man named Mads.
History
The name is especially common in Denmark and also appears in Norway, reflecting the widespread Scandinavian use of -sen surnames. It became hereditary as family naming practices stabilized in the 19th century, though patronymic use of the same form existed earlier. In English-language sources, it is sometimes listed among Scandinavian surnames without further explanation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Mads is one of several Scandinavian forms related to Matthew, so Madsen ultimately shares a distant biblical origin with names like Matthews and Matson.
From the historical record
“Maddick. See Maddox Maddin. See Madden Maddison. D. Madsen ; p.n. See Maddy Maddle. A.S. Madal; FI. Mad- yol ; Fr. Madoule ; p.n. ; mathel (speech)”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)