Madson last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Madson

Derived from the Scandinavian personal name "Mattias" or "Mathias," combined with the patronymic suffix "-sen" or "-son."

Madson, 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 Madson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Madson in America

Madson is the 10337th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Madson surname appeared 3,116 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Madson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Madson 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 10337 9953 3.79%
Count 3,116 2,991 4.09%
Proportion per 100k 1.06 1.11 -4.61%

The history of the last name Madson

The surname Madson originated in the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse masculine given name Matheus, which was a variant of the biblical name Matthew. The suffix "-son" was commonly added to form a patronymic surname, indicating "son of Matheus."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Madson can be found in the Danish Census of 1660, where a person named Jens Madson was listed as a resident of Copenhagen. In Norway, the name appears in the records of the Trondheim Cathedral from the early 15th century, with a certain Halvor Madson mentioned as a church warden.

The Madson surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Olaf Madson, a Norwegian explorer who is believed to have accompanied Leif Erikson on his voyage to North America around the year 1000 AD. Another prominent figure was Ingrid Madson, a Swedish noblewoman and landowner who lived in the 13th century and was known for her philanthropic work.

In the 17th century, a man named Peder Madson was a respected shipbuilder in the Danish town of Aalborg. His craftsmanship and attention to detail contributed to the town's reputation as a center for shipbuilding during that era.

Moving to the 18th century, the name Madson appears in the records of the Swedish East India Company, with a merchant named Nils Madson trading spices and textiles between Scandinavia and Asia.

In more recent times, one of the most renowned individuals with the Madson surname was the Norwegian writer and poet, Bjørn Madson (1841-1912), whose works explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition. His poetry collection, "Skogens Sange" (Songs of the Forest), remains a beloved classic in Norwegian literature.

While the Madson surname has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to carry the legacy of its Norse origins and the diverse individuals who have borne it throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Madson

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

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 Madson was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.88% 2,863
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.05% 64
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.87% 27
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.80% 25
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.12% 66
Hispanic Origin 2.28% 71

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 Madson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.88% 92.98% -1.19%
Black 2.05% 3.08% -40.16%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.87% 0.74% 16.15%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.80% 0.84% -4.88%
Two or More Races 2.12% 1.20% 55.42%
Hispanic 2.28% 1.17% 64.35%

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 Madson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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"Madson last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/madson-surname-popularity/.

"Madson last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/madson-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Madson last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/madson-surname-popularity/.

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