2000
#9,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,991
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Madson
Derived from the Scandinavian personal name "Mattias" or "Mathias," combined with the patronymic suffix "-sen" or "-son."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,342 Americans carry the last name Madson. That puts it at #10,505 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madson 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 Madson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,560
Census rank
#10,505
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,914 bearers of the surname Madson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10505th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madson
Among Census respondents with the surname Madson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Madson 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 Madson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 2,625
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 102
- Two or more races3.2% · 94
- Black or African American1.2% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madson
Madson 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
#10,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,116
+125 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 384 places
2020
#10,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,914
-202 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,953 | 2,991 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,337 | 3,116 | 1.06 | +125 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 384 places |
| 2020 | #10,505 | 2,914 | 0.97 | -202 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 168 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 Madson 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 | #10,337 | #10,505 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,116 | 2,914 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.97 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madson bearers went from 3,116 to 2,914 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 168 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,337 to #10,505.
FAQ
Madson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,342 living Americans carry the surname Madson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,560 residents.
How common is Madson?
Madson ranks #10,505 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,914 people with the surname Madson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Madson.
Has Madson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madson went from 3,116 recorded bearers to 2,914. That is a decrease of 202 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,337 to #10,505.
What does the Census say about the background of Madson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Madson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,625 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Madson (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 Madson mean?
Derived from the Scandinavian personal name "Mattias" or "Mathias," combined with the patronymic suffix "-sen" or "-son." 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 Madson (0.97 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 share the surname Madson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.