Madison (name)

Traditionally, Madison was a surname, meaning "son of Maud" (Reaney & Wilson, 1997). "Maud" is a pet form of Matilda. [ [http://www.behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=madison Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Madison ] ]

Madison (often shortened to Maddie or Maddy) has become a very popular female given name in the United States. 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. This phenomenal rise in popularity has been attributed to 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.

urname

*James Madison, fourth 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

Given name

Male

*George Madison Adams (1837/1920), U.S. Representative from Kentucky
*Frederick Madison Allen (1879/1964), doctor
*Madison Smartt Bell (1957/), novelist
*James Madison Carpenter (1888/1983), Methodist minister, scholar
*Madison Cawein (1865/1914), poet
*Madison Cooper (1894/1956), American businessman
*Clarence Madison Dally (1865/1904), American glassblower
*James Madison DeWolf (1843/1876), surgeon
*Madison Hedgecock (1981/), American football player
*Madison Hemings (1805/1877), of Thomas Jefferson's slave Sally Hemings
*Madison Jones (1925/), author
*Madison Grant (1865/1937), lawyer, eugenicist, and conservationist
*James Madison Hughes (1809/1861), U.S. Representative from Missouri
*Omer Madison Kem (1855/1942), Nebraska Populist politician
*James Madison Leach (1815/1891), U.S. Representative from North Carolina
*James Madison Morton, Jr. (1869/1940), American federal judge
*James Madison Pendleton (1811/1891), Baptist preacher, educator, and theologian
*Madison S. Perry (1814/1865), fourth Governor of Florida
*James Madison Porter (1793/1862), United States Secretary of War
*Frederick Madison Roberts (1879/1952), mortician
*James Madison Robertson (/1891), artillery officer in the United States Army
*Frederick Madison Smith (1874/1946), American religious leader and author
*Madison Washington (circa 19th century), instigator of slave revolt
*William Madison Whittington (1878/1962), Democratic politician from Mississippi
*James Madison Wells (1808/1899), Governor of Louisiana
*William Madison Wood (1858/1926), mill owner

Fictional

*Madison Jeffries, comic book character in "Alpha Flight"

Female

*Madison (wrestler), stage name, (debut 2001)
*Madison Carabello, actress
*Madison Cross (1992/), singer/actress
*Madison Hubbell (1991/), American ice dancer
*Madison Lu, actress
*Madison McReynolds (1993/), American actress
*J. Madison Wright Morris (1984/2006), actress
*Madison Nguyen, American politician
*Madison Pettis (1998), American actress
*Madison Stone (1965/), adult film actress, stage name from the late 1980s (often credited simply as "Madison")
*Madison Davenport (1996/), American actress and singer

Fictional characters

*Madison, in "Splash (film)" (1984)
*Madison Duarte, in the television series "South of Nowhere" (2005/)
*Madison Lee, in the film "" (2003)
*Madison Robinson, in the Australian television soap opera "Neighbours"
*Madison Sinclair, in the television series "Veronica Mars" (2004/)

References

Reaney, P.J. & Wilson, R.N. (1997) "A Dictionary of English Surnames". Oxford University Press.
* [http://www.teevee.org/archive/2002/11/21/ An November 2002 essay on the sudden popularity of the name Madison.]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A20374-2003Sep16] September 21, 2003 column in the "Washington Post" lamenting the use of Madison as a female given name.
* [http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ Social Security Administration - Popular Baby Names]