Madison

Madison is an English surname transferred to given-name use, derived from a medieval patronymic meaning son of Maud or son of Matthew, both ultimately tracing back to the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning gift of God. As a first name it was historically male, borne notably by James Madison, fourth president of the United States, after whom it gained wide recognition. Its dramatic rise as a feminine given name in the United States followed the 1984 film Splash, in which a mermaid adopts it from a New York street sign. Related forms include Madisyn, Maddison, and the abbreviated pet form Maddie.