NameCensus.

UK surname

Madison

Derived from the English place name meaning "Maud's son," referring to a descendant of someone named Maud.

In the 1881 census there were 49 people recorded with the Madison surname, ranking it #26,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, up from #26,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Stockport and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Islington and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Madison is 140 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 185.7%.

1881 census count

49

Ranked #26,735

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

2016

140 bearers

Map years

2

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Madison had 49 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 107 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Madison surname distribution map

The map shows where the Madison surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Madison surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Madison over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 107 #16,402
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 49 #26,735
1891 historical 62 #28,991
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 39 #29,025
1997 modern 67 #30,915
1998 modern 71 #30,869
1999 modern 76 #30,546
2000 modern 72 #30,977
2001 modern 65 #31,501
2002 modern 71 #31,351
2003 modern 71 #31,393
2004 modern 67 #31,976
2005 modern 64 #32,482
2006 modern 68 #32,441
2007 modern 76 #31,966
2008 modern 72 #32,656
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 138 #25,103
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Madisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Stockport, Kings Norton, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Islington, Chorley, Kensington and Chelsea and South Cambridgeshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 019 Barnet
2 Islington 007 Islington
3 Chorley 006 Chorley
4 Kensington and Chelsea 001 Kensington and Chelsea
5 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Madison

These lists show first names that appear often with the Madison surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Madison

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Madison, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Madison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Madison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Madison is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Madison is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Madison falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Madison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Madison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Madison

The surname MADISON is an English habitational name derived from the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. Historically, the place name Maidstone was recorded as Medwegestun in around 835 AD, which translates from Old English to mean "the estate among the meadows". The name evolved over time, with variations including Mædwæstān, Maidestan, and eventually Maidstone by the 14th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a landmark survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror, the town of Maidstone is recorded as Meddestane. This early written record provides evidence of the name's origins and evolution.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname MADISON was John Madyston, who was mentioned in the Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem in 1398. This document recorded the findings of inquests held after the death of landholders in medieval England.

During the 16th century, the surname MADISON began to appear more frequently in various records. Notable individuals from this period include William Madison (c. 1530-1598), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex in 1588.

In the 17th century, the surname MADISON was carried to the American colonies by English settlers. One of the most famous individuals with this name was James Madison (1751-1836), the fourth President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers. He was a key figure in the drafting of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Another prominent figure was George Madison (1763-1816), an American politician and the sixth Governor of Kentucky. He was also the younger brother of President James Madison.

In the 19th century, Jesse Madison (1817-1892) was an American circus performer and contortionist who achieved fame for his remarkable flexibility and ability to twist his body into unusual positions.

The name MADISON is also associated with several place names, including Madison County in various states such as Alabama, Arkansas, and Illinois, as well as the city of Madison, Wisconsin, which was named in honor of President James Madison.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Madison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Madison surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 12 Madisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.44x.

County Total Index
Durham 12 8.44x
Warwickshire 10 8.30x
Surrey 5 2.15x
Lincolnshire 4 5.23x
Yorkshire 4 0.84x
Devon 3 3.02x
Lancashire 3 0.53x
Middlesex 2 0.42x
Cheshire 1 0.95x
Gloucestershire 1 1.07x
Northumberland 1 1.41x
Somerset 1 1.30x
Westmorland 1 9.52x
Worcestershire 1 1.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 10 Madisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.13x.

Place Total Index
Aston 10 30.13x
Hett 6 10000.00x
Camberwell 4 13.10x
Sunderland 4 159.36x
Liverpool 3 8.71x
Mareham Le Fen 2 1666.67x
Stoke 2 500.00x
Bishopwearmouth 1 8.20x
Bromsgrove 1 47.62x
Crosthwaite Lyth 1 769.23x
Devonport 1 87.72x
Eccleshill 1 86.96x
Gateshead 1 9.39x
Halifax 1 14.39x
Hyde 1 32.15x
Lambeth 1 2.40x
Nun Monkton 1 2500.00x
Seaton Delaval 1 161.29x
St Marylebone London 1 3.92x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 93.46x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 83.33x
Stratton 1 909.09x
Westminster St 1 56.82x
Weston Super Mare 1 51.55x
Wortley In Bramley 1 26.67x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Madison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Madison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 5
William 4
James 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Auther 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Madison households.

FAQ

Madison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Madison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 49 people were recorded with the Madison surname. That placed it at #26,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Madison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Madison a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Madison surname mean?

Derived from the English place name meaning "Maud's son," referring to a descendant of someone named Maud.

What does the Madison map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Madison bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.