2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Madvig
A Danish surname derived from a placename based on an Old Norse compound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Madvig. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madvig 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Madvig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madvig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Madvig
The surname Madvig has its origins in Denmark, where it can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Danish words "mad" meaning food and "vig" meaning bay or inlet, suggesting a possible connection to an area known for its fishing or seafood.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Madvig can be found in the records of the island of Funen, Denmark, in the late 1500s. During this period, the spelling "Madvig" was commonly used, although variations such as "Madvigh" and "Madviig" were also present.
In the 17th century, the name Madvig appeared in several historical records, including parish registers and land ownership documents. One notable figure from this time was Peder Madvig (1620-1689), a prominent landowner and local official in the town of Odense.
As the name spread across Denmark, it became associated with various place names, including the village of Madvig located in the northern part of the country. This village, which still exists today, was likely named after an early settler or landowner with the surname Madvig.
The 18th century saw the rise of several influential figures bearing the Madvig name. Johan Nicolai Madvig (1718-1785) was a respected scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Copenhagen. His son, Johan Nicolai Madvig (1766-1834), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned philologist and classical scholar.
In the 19th century, the name Madvig gained international recognition through the work of Johan Nicolai Madvig (1804-1886), a celebrated Danish philologist and educator. He made significant contributions to the study of Latin grammar and was widely respected for his scholarly work.
Another notable figure from this period was Carl Vilhelm Madvig (1830-1911), a Danish politician and economist who served as the Minister of Finance and later as the Prime Minister of Denmark from 1897 to 1900.
As the Madvig family spread across Denmark and beyond, the name continued to be associated with various fields, including academia, politics, and business. While the surname has remained relatively uncommon outside of Denmark, it has left a lasting legacy in its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madvig
Among Census respondents with the surname Madvig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Madvig 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 Madvig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madvig
Madvig 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-7 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,156 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+21 bearers (+21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 19,666 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 18,156 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+21.0%) | Up 19,666 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 Madvig 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 | #160,975 | #141,309 | 12.2% |
| Count | 100 | 121 | 21.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madvig bearers went from 100 to 121 (+21.0% change). The surname moved up 19,666 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #141,309.
FAQ
Madvig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madvig?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Madvig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Madvig?
Madvig ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Madvig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Madvig.
Has Madvig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madvig went from 100 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 21 (+21.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Madvig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madvig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Madvig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madvig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Madvig (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 Madvig mean?
A Danish surname derived from a placename based on an Old Norse compound. 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 Madvig (0.04 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 surname Madvig?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.