The name Madison originated as a surname derived from the medieval English place name "Madingden" or "Maddingden". This place name comes from the Old English words "mæddingdenu" meaning "valley of the sons of Mada". The Mada family took their name from a Old English personal name "Mada", possibly derived from the word "madding" meaning "celebrated".

In medieval times, people with the surname Madison likely came from the village of Madingden, in Cambridgeshire, England. Early records show the name spelled in various ways such as Madinden, Madyngdene, and Madingdene. The first recorded instance of the surname Madison dates back to 1260 in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire.

The name Madison did not emerge as a popular given name until much later. One of the earliest known bearers of the first name was Sir John Madison (1619-1698), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1693. Around this time, the name began appearing occasionally as a masculine given name.

Another early bearer was James Madison (1751-1836), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the 4th President, serving from 1809 to 1817. His prominence helped establish Madison as an accepted masculine name in America.

In the 19th century literary world, Madison Julius Cawein (1865-1914) was an American poet, playwright and novelist who wrote extensively about Kentucky. On the other side of the Atlantic, British photographer Georgina Madison Sampson (1872-1964) was a pioneer of color photography and an important figure in the Pictorialist movement.

Transitioning into the 20th century, Madison Stratton (1910-1990) was a celebrated American architect who designed several landmark buildings in his hometown of Dallas, Texas. His contemporary, Madison Cooper (1925-2020), was a prolific British actor best known for his roles in films like The Thirty-Nine Steps and The Ipcress File.