Find out how popular the last name Madej is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Madej.

Madej, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Madej surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Madej in America

Madej is the 27228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Madej surname appeared 888 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Madej.

We can also compare 2010 data for Madej to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Madej

The surname MADEJ is of Polish origin, deriving from the Polish word "madry" meaning "wise" or "intelligent." It is believed to have originated in the late 15th or early 16th century as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were considered particularly knowledgeable or scholarly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MADEJ surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Wola Michowa, near Krakow, in the year 1567. The entry refers to a certain "Jan Madej," suggesting that the surname was already in use by that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MADEJ surname spread throughout various regions of Poland, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country. It was often associated with individuals who were involved in scholarly pursuits or held positions of authority within their communities.

In the 18th century, the MADEJ surname gained further prominence with the birth of Józef Madej (1737-1805), a Polish Catholic priest and academic who served as the rector of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. His contributions to education and religious studies during the Enlightenment period earned him recognition among his contemporaries.

Another notable figure bearing the MADEJ surname was Franciszek Madej (1846-1920), a Polish painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works are housed in various art museums and galleries across Poland.

In the early 20th century, Stanisław Madej (1892-1967) rose to prominence as a Polish military officer and diplomat. He served as the Polish ambassador to the United States from 1936 to 1945, playing a crucial role in representing Poland's interests during World War II.

Throughout history, the MADEJ surname has been associated with various place names and locations in Poland, such as the villages of Madejowa and Madejowice, which likely derived their names from individuals bearing the MADEJ surname who resided in those areas.

While the MADEJ surname is predominantly found in Poland, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to its Polish origins, where it has held a place of distinction for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Madej

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Madej.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Madej was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Madej has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Madej was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Madej, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!