How to say it
MAD · i · son
/ˈmæd.ɪ.sən/
Feminine
Madisson
Son of Maud
What it means
A respelling of Madison, an English surname meaning 'son of Maud' or 'son of Matthew.'
Madisson is a double-s spin on Madison, an English surname that meant 'son of Maud,' the medieval form of Matilda, or sometimes 'son of Matthew.' Madison took off as a girls' name after the 1984 film Splash, where a mermaid picks it off a Manhattan street sign. The Madisson spelling is a recent variation on that hit. Maddie is the natural short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #319 in 2025, currently #319 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
- Nickname
Maddie.
- Spelling
A respelling of Madison; also seen as Maddison.
- Pop culture
Madison surged as a girls' name after the 1984 film Splash.
Spelling variants
- Madison
- Maddison
- Madyson
Names with the same feeling
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