2000
#1,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,548
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.84
Uncommon Last name
Madison
Derived from the English place name meaning "Maud's son," referring to a descendant of someone named Maud.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,003 Americans carry the last name Madison. That puts it at #1,272 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,056 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madison surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Madison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,056
Census rank
#1,272
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,036 bearers of the surname Madison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1272nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madison, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.8%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madison
Among Census respondents with the surname Madison, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.8%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Madison bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Madison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.8% · 14,266
- Black or African American36.8% · 9,942
- Two or more races5.7% · 1,553
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 841
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 244
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 190
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madison
Madison appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,411
+1,863 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 9.63
Rank movement Down 32 places
2020
#1,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,036
-1,375 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 9.05
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,209 | 26,548 | 9.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,241 | 28,411 | 9.63 | +1,863 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 32 places |
| 2020 | #1,272 | 27,036 | 9.05 | -1,375 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 31 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Madison surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,241 | #1,272 | -2.5% |
| Count | 28,411 | 27,036 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 9.63 | 9.05 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madison bearers went from 28,411 to 27,036 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,241 to #1,272.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Madison
FAQ
Madison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madison?
Name Census estimates that about 31,003 living Americans carry the surname Madison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,056 residents.
How common is Madison?
Madison ranks #1,272 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,036 people with the surname Madison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,003), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Madison.
Has Madison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madison went from 28,411 recorded bearers to 27,036. That is a decrease of 1,375 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,241 to #1,272.
What does the Census say about the background of Madison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madison, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.8%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Madison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.8% (14,266 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.8%), Black (36.8%), Two or More Races (5.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Madison (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Madison mean?
Derived from the English place name meaning "Maud's son," referring to a descendant of someone named Maud. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Madison (9.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Madison?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Madison on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.