Explore the Family Name Madison
The meaning of Madison
English: 1. variant of Mattison or Mattinson (‘son of Matthew’) with voicing of /t/ to /d/. 2. from the Middle English personal names Madde and Maddy + son; these may be pet forms of Maud (see Maude 2) or possibly voiced variants of Matte and Matty, pet forms of Matthew. Compare Madson. History: James Madison (1751–1836), 4th President of the US (1809–17), was born in VA, the son of a planter. He was descended from John Madison, a ship’s carpenter from Gloucester, England, who had settled in VA c.1653.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Madison in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Madison has seen minor changes over a decade. In 2000, Madison was ranked 1209 and by 2010 it had dropped slightly to 1241, showing a decrease of 2.65%. However, the count of people bearing this surname increased from 26548 in 2000 to 28411 in 2010, marking a growth of 7.02%. The proportion of Madisons per 100,000 people also saw a slight decrease of 2.13%, dropping from 9.84 in 2000 to 9.63 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,209 | #1,241 | -2.65% |
| Count | 26,548 | 28,411 | 7.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.84 | 9.63 | -2.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Madison
The ethnicity distribution for the Madison surname shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 0.50% to 0.68%, a 36.00% change. Individuals with two or more races went up from 2.35% to 3.01%, a 28.09% increase. The percentage of those identifying as White reduced slightly from 56.98% in 2000 to 55.04% in 2010, a decline of 3.40%. Meanwhile, Hispanic representation in the Madison surname group rose significantly from 1.22% to 2.06%, showing a dramatic 68.85% increase. The Black demographic remained relatively stable at 38.09% in 2000 and 38.28% in 2010. Finally, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a small increase from 0.85% to 0.93%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 56.98% | 55.04% | -3.4% |
| Black | 38.09% | 38.28% | 0.5% |
| Two or More Races | 2.35% | 3.01% | 28.09% |
| Hispanic | 1.22% | 2.06% | 68.85% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.85% | 0.93% | 9.41% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.68% | 36% |
Madison ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Madison is British & Irish, which comprises 41.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.4%) and Nigerian (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 41.3% |
| French & German | 21.4% |
| Nigerian | 7.5% |
| Other | 29.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Madison
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Madison have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 73.70% |
What Madison haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Madison is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Williams, Brown, Harris, Davis, Browne, Jackson, Wilson, Harrison, Carter, Barnes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Madison surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Madison have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Madison" Surname 42.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Madison" Surname 29.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Madison" Surname 24.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Madison" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Madison?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Madison are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition