How to say it
AD · di · son
/ˈæd.ɪ.sən/
Feminine
Addison
Son of Adam
What it means
Old English surname meaning 'son of Adam' (Addy was a medieval pet form of Adam). Originally a masculine surname, now overwhelmingly used for girls in the US.
Addison started as an English surname meaning 'son of Adam' (via Addy, a medieval short for Adam). Joseph Addison, the 18th-century English essayist and co-founder of The Spectator, was the most famous historical Addison. The jump to first name was masculine until the 1990s, when American naming flipped it; by 2005 it was overwhelmingly used for girls. The flip is one of the clearest cases of the surname-first wave moving feminine. Addie is the usual short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #11 in 2007, currently #84 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Addison Montgomery (Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice) gave the name its decisive modern feminine anchor. Joseph Addison the essayist is the older masculine reference.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Addison Montgomery Kate Walsh's character in Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice
- Joseph Addison 18th-century English essayist, co-founder of The Spectator
Spelling variants
- Addisyn
- Addyson
Names with the same feeling
See Addison from another angle
By style