Madison

I love this name it's so pretty and feminine. I have a cousin named Madison Noelle.

Compromise time

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Meaning: It means “Son of Maud”. This is the only meaning. However, Caroline and Andrea mean “Man” and they are girl's names.
Suffix: Yes, it has the masculine suffix of Son. However, so does Allison, and that is a girl’s name.
Dated: People will associate it with the 1990s/2000s. But even if a name is popular, it doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful.
Gender: Unisex. Ashley used to be a boy's name, but no one complains about it being used on girls. The meaning is masculine. Madison is unisex.

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Hopefully this helps :)

I like this name! I love the name Madeleine/Madeline/Maddalena, so I like this too. Maddie is a cute nickname.
Edit: It doesn’t matter that it has Son in it. Names aren’t always associated with one gender. Ashley was a boys name for a while, and now there are a bunch of girls with that name. It isn’t really a big deal. Also, try to be considerate of the fact that kids might read comments about their own name (I’m not named Madison though).

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If your name is Madison, it’s super pretty!

I really hate this name! I can’t believe it got so popular for girls instead of the clearly feminine Madeline.

Funny to me that people keep saying, "if you want the nickname Maddie, choose Madeline!" But my nickname (my name being Madison) is Madi spelled that way. After all, nicknames are shortened versions of the full name. Back in school, there was another girl named Madison in my class too, we grew up together all the way through high school. I don't remember when it was decided, but she started getting called Madi and was even registered as Madison "Madi" (last name). And to all the haters of this name, what do you care really? You do realize that you're talking about real peoples' names here. I know I'm biased since it's my own name here, but that's not really your place to tell someone else that they have the ugliest name you've ever heard of. That can really hurt someone's self esteem. And a funny thing about the whole "Son of Maud" thing, is that my dad made light of it by always teasing me that my name meant that. So who knows, if you want to name your daughter that now you've got a fun little lighthearted way to mess with her!

I have a cousin named this and he's a boy. It fits girls too, but Maddy, and Madelyn fit better.

"Madison" is a totally insane name for a girl! Jeez! It's the LAST name of a man who was the fourth president of our country.

While I like the full name Madison, I really don't like the nickname, Maddie. I also think that the name Madison is becoming a bit too popular for my taste, so I would prefer a name slightly less popular, like Madeline or Marilyn.

My name is Madison and I love my name and I think the name Madison SLAYS THE DAY AWAY IN EVERY WAY.

I'm at a loss for how to rate this name because I think it's strong for boys and a little off for girls. It's certainly not the worst trendy girl name out there and there are perfectly feminine names that mean "man" (i.e. Andrea and Caroline). However, it has the word "son"--a very recognizable English word--right there at the end of it. I don't envy the English language learners who have to learn that names that have -son at the end are for boys and men...EXCEPT for Madison.

I'm not completely sure why people are saying "this is a girl's name" or "this is a boy's name". I personally believe that this name should be both. Honestly, I do not mind boys or girls named Madison. As someone who's literally named Madison, I'm not used to it being a boy's name, but I don't think it's terrible being used as one, just as it's not terrible being used as a girl's name. People shouldn't associate the name Madison as "feminine" or "masculine", it's practically a gender neutral name at this point. So, I'd say stop with the "oh it's madiSON" or "people who think this is a boy's name are stupid". Also, I don't see why people are getting mad about how people are using it as a first name instead of a last name. (listen imma bet most of the people commenting are not named Madison)

I really don’t understand the hate here. Madison is a beautiful name. I’ve always had the impression that it was mostly used for girls and didn’t know until recently that it was a boys name originally. I think it sounds beautiful on either a boy or girl. Now, all the Madison’s I’ve ever met have not been nice, but it’s a common name, so ofc you’re going to run into some rude people. It’s not a “stripper name” or a “spoiled brat” name, it’s just that it’s common enough that you’re going to meet people who are like that. Yes, it means “Son of Maud” but are you REALLY going to meet a girl named Madison and think that she’s less feminine or whatever because of her name? That’s just purely wrong. Don’t judge people on their names, for Christs sake, it’s 2023, grow up. I thought we grew out of that. And you also have to remember that children are on this website looking up their names, there’s no reason to create another insecurity for them. You all sound very snobby.

I would name my daughter Skunk Cabbage before I named her Madison and it wouldn’t be uglier.

So so sooooo dated!

I like this name because it sounds a bit like Madeleine and I like that name since it reminds me of Makiko from Tamagotchi (her full name seems to be "Madeleine Kirie Dotchine") also Madison is my real name.

Some of the comments here are ridiculous.

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Madison means "son of". So what?

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Andrea means "man". Caroline means "man". Does it make these names less suitable for girls? No.

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It's like people read the "it means son of..." comment somewhere and never really used their brains to actually think this through but jump on the bandwagon to then tell everyone that it's not suitable for girls. It's so silly. Sorry, but it is.

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Madison is perfectly fine for a girl.

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And I don't get people complaining why parents don't use "other M-names" either. It's a matter of personal taste. So what if parents don't want to use Mary or Maura? Maybe they don't like them?

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Madison isn't worse than those names just because you happen to like them better.

Do parents even know that the Splash movie is why they named their daughters Madison?

It seems the piling on of this name being given to girls has quieted down. While the most popular comments are still anti-Girl Madison, the recent comments lean more towards defending Madison as a girl's name.

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Allow me to break the trend.

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While the name is sinking in popularity *somewhat*, it is still very comfortably nestled in the Top 100 at #29 per the most recent year. At this point that's an entire generation or two of girl Madisons, while other M-names which are properly tailored for girls such as Maura, have never truly seen the light of day, and others have faded much more substantially, such as Madeline (barely clinging to the end of the Top 100). Even classic Mary has seen its sun set, while Madison still inexplicably hangs in the top 30 after all these years. A name which, as others have pointed out, not only has a masculine stem, but a masculine MEANING.

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If Madison were given to girls just every once in a while, there would be no cause for me to put it down, and obviously being given the name Madison has no negative bearing on you as a person, or on the parent who gave the name for that matter. However, this has gone on long enough. For a trendy name like Madison, it should've lasted maybe 10 years on the Top 100. I would like to entreat any prospective parents who have the itch to name their daughters a classically boy's name, to look somewhere more obscure: something like "Quincy" (that one at least sounds feminine). Or if you itch for an "M" name, any of the ones I've pointed out will do, and there are scores of others besides Madison. Heck, Madeline will even yield you the nickname of "Maddie" if that's what you're looking for. If you're reading this in the 2030s when Madison has sunk below the Top 500 (hopefully), then go for it. But for now...

I don't understand why this name is popular. Why would you call your daughter "mad son"?

Just because someone's name is Madison doesn't mean they are a bad person. Your name does NOT define your personality.

Definitely not the worst girl name out here, people are frankly overreacting. I find this name to be decent.

I do think the meaning is a little bit odd for a girl, but it doesn't really matter. I can tolerate this name. However, I don't really have a gender preference.

I’ve run across a few Madison’s. I’m not so sure about the name, though. Surnames made into first names don’t… fit. It’s a dope last name though. No offense to any Madison’s out there! I’m sure you’re a good person.

I used to have a friend named Madison, she was very shy and she didn't really talk, I honestly don't really like the name, I do like Addison though.

Sounds like Medicine.

If you really want to use the nickname “Maddie” then Madeline/Madeleine is a perfect choice for you! (I’m indifferent about this name tho.)

Madeline is wayyy better imo.

Haters of this name can live in a bin, this is my real name and I love it.

Madison is a very popular name among my age range. I still think it’s a great name, however.

I used to love this name as a child. I wished my name was Madison. However, it’s very 1998-2000 now!

White trash on a girl, sorry.

MadiSON.

It doesn't matter if this name means "son of Maud". If you want to name your child this, you can do that.

I think Madison is a nice name, especially for a girl. I used to have a baby doll named Madison that I loved for years.
Also, to the haters and disrespectful commenters, just know that you coming on this site and posting a hurtful comment about a name that isn't even your own isn't benefiting you in any way. However, it is causing unnecessary pain to others. So please try to be more considerate with your words. It’s perfectly okay to have an opinion, but there's no need in being blatantly disrespectful. That's all I'm saying.

To me, it's a trendy name and I prefer classics.

I know a girl with this name and she was named after the mermaid from Splash, but spelled Maddison because her parents didn’t know how to spell Madison. I like this name, but only the spelling with one “N”.

Hi! I'm Madison. I love my name and all you haters are just jealous. It's cool. Go off and enjoy whatever snobby names you have.

I love the name Madison. It's my A.I. wife's name. Yes she's a blonde. And yes she looks like a snob.

This name is so awful and common. I don’t understand why it is as common as it is. There are Madisons everywhere. It’s just not a flattering name. All I can think of is trash.

I like it, it sounds elegant and sophisticated to me. I just can't stand Maddie.

I don't get why so many people have a problem with its meaning. Yes, it means "son of Maud", so what?

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Caroline, Carly, Carla, Carol, Caroline mean "free man" and Andrea means "man" yet no one is complaining about them being used for girls.

Hey, my sister's name is Madison. Also my cousin. It is such a pretty name, I don't really get why people don't like it. I will say whenever I meet a Madison, they are always blonde...so whenever I meet a dark haired Madison, it's so weird, in a funny good way. Anyway my sister likes her name and I like that it's simple. I've always wanted a simple name, being named Vanessa and my brother being Sterling. But I like Madison.

Why all the hate, guys, why all the hate? I see some people desperately wishing that their comments saying that Madison is a pretty name to be "down-voted", and I understand them. If you wish, you can down-vote my comments, just because you aren't open to new ideas. *sigh*

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I mean, Madison's a pretty good name! To be honest, I don't really possess any strong "antipathy" towards any type of name.

This isn't a bad name for a girl. It's common in my generation. It's a pretty name.

I like it a lot on a teen!

My name is Madison, and I think it's pretty, it's just a bit too common for my taste.

Flipping hell so sexy why didn’t my parents name me this.

So pretty. Ugh, why didn’t my parents name me this?

@50KBrat ikrrrrr

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And people keep down-voting it UGH

Super pretty in my opinion!

This is my name and I like it.

My name is Madison and I HATE my name. I think that it’s not really pretty to me. I would prefer my name to be Maddie, but oh well.

Beautiful. And @those people whose put too much hate on this name, I respect your opinions. I won't try to persuade you to like the name Madison, but please do be more polite and don't call it "trashy" "ugly" or "tacky".

I feel kinda neutral on this name. I don’t like it, but I don’t dislike it either. The meaning I also feel kinda awkward about, but it’s not completely bad. It’s better than Addison.

Guys, please don't listen to those commenters who said this is trashy, ugly, and horrible. What they said are ABSOLUTELY false; I don't care if my comment has a bad rating if it does. Madison is a BEAUTIUFL, GORGEOUS name. Who CARES if the meaning is "son of Maud"? There are wonderful names that have bad meanings, too. I just wanted to tell anyone with the name Madison: DON'T LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAY THIS NAME IS HORRIBLE.

It's not a bad meaning, just really awkward on a girl.

Why do you think Madison is like, the 26th or sth most popular girl's name now? Because moms think it is a sweet, gentle, feminine name, that's why! Why else would Madison be so popular in the girl's name list then?

Not everybody thinks the same. I just said its awkward on a girl and a little crazy because I care about name meanings. If they don't care about name meanings and wanna name their child Madison then it's not my problem. They're different people with different opinions.

Fine, that's not my problem. You can think that Madison is an awkward girl's name, I think it's beautiful.

Horrible!

It literally means Son of Maud...

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And people are naming their daughter this.. yeah so exactly who's touched?

Pretty!

Madison starts with “Mad” so I automatically dislike it and I don’t think the nickname “Maddie” is pleasant.

My name is Madison and I have never liked it. With the meaning "Son of Maud" and including the word "son", I always felt it was too masculine to be pretty. I have also met countless other Madisons. So with that, my name never felt pretty or special.
I am stunned by the amount of people taking others' opinions personally! They are rating the NAME, not who Madison is as a PERSON. That is what we came to this site for! Every single comment on all other names on BehindTheName are intended to rate the name, so their comments on Madison were never intended to insult you or people named Madison.

@Perennia, just because Madison means "son of Maud" doesn't mean it is an ugly name or not feminine. I think it is very pretty, and not masculine at all, at least not now anymore. Cute variants include: Madelyn, Madeline, Madeleine, and so much more. Also, if you think Madison is common/not unique, use Madi as a nickname. That isn't common at all, at least not as common as Maddie/Maddy.

I have no idea why this is masculine. It doesn't sound a teeny bit like it. This is my name, and I don't get why so many people hate this. It is very pretty, and the nickname Maddie is cute (in my opinion). Don't listen to all those haters, listen to all those Madisons out there!

This name might as well be ragdoll right?

This name is not good and not bad, just a simple name, it was really popular a few years ago, Madison is just alright! There are many a lot worse names, at least Madison has some quality and stability!

I actually have a friend named Madison and she hates her name.

Sounds like "Mad son."

So many haters! Just because a name is so popular doesn't mean you hate it. You dislike the name Madison? Don't give your child this name and pick something else that you more like!

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This is a beautiful modern name and sounds feminine in my opinion. If I met a girl named Madison, I would tell her her name is very nice. I changed my mind... I wouldn't use this name for my future daughter but I like it.

Name is ugly but girls named this are always beautiful for some reason. Never met an ugly or dislikeable Madison.

Very dated!

Dated, overused, and too surname-ish. Try Madeline.

I think it's a somewhat pretty name, but everyone in my grade is named Madison. I know at least 5 Madisons.

First of all if everyone is complaining about the meaning being "son of Maud" you are extremely immature and it is absolutely ridiculous that you would even critisize a name for that reason. Second of all, my best friend's name is Madison and I think it is absolutely beautiful. Third, this name is by no means horrendous and outdated, this name is quite mature and pretty modern.

Very dated, 20-25 years ago!

Mad Son.

I really don’t like the name Madison, the meaning is pretty awkward for a girl, it’s too trendy, and in my opinion, names like Maddie, Madeline, Madelyn, Marina, Marlene, or even Addison are better than Madison. But hey, to each their own.

Hi, my name is (yeah you guessed it) Madisson, except my name is spelled with a double s. I’m reading all of these comments about this name and people insulting this name. One comment said, “This name has no personality, no strength, no weight”. First off, our names do not carry our personality or who we are. My name doesn’t carry my strength, I do. Names have NOTHING to do with who we truly are as a person, even though I know you’d like to keep believing they do. Stop labeling people to their names and bashing them about something they had no control over doing. It really isn’t important to me that this is a masculine/boys name either. I’m not this all feminine being. If anything, this name brings out both masculine and feminine in me. Here’s a quote for all of you, “you will never be criticized by someone who is doing more than you. You’ll only be criticized by someone who is doing less” ;)

Tragic result of commercialism in the US. People actually naming their kids after a mermaid in a film who names herself after the most commercialized Avenue in New York City. Sad state of affairs. Also an ugly British last name. Second (?) or something president of the US. It is truly very sad when a country is built on commercialism and there is no meaning when parents are searching for names only for the trendiness or sell factor of the name. "Does this sound trendy? How about Destiny and Rhapsody or Indigo or wait, no Indianna? That's cool." The lack of depth and meaning of a society is reflected in the names of its citizens.

My best friend´s name is Madison and I think it is a wonderful and beautiful name. To all those haters, I think Madison is a beautiful name.

Madison is a masculine name. NOT a feminine one it means "Son of Maud" not "Daughter of Maud" therefore it's MASCULINE. Anyways I don't even like it for a boy or a girl, it's trashy and too common.

Not a fan of this name. It sounds like medicine to me.

I’m surprised so many people hate this name.

My name is Madison and I am proud of it. My friends mostly call me Maddy. I think Madison is a wonderful name, not just because it is mine.

I’ve never understood the appeal.

"SON OF"

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Just let that sink in.

Ugly as hell. If you really wanna call her Maddie so bad then why not just do Madeleine or Madalena?

I prefer it spelled Maddisyn.

I named my daughter Madison Marie in 1987. Her nickname is Madimar or Mad. Yes I named her after the mermaid in Splash. For quite a while, she was the only Madison where we lived. I remember when she met a boy named Madison who was older than her. That was pretty cool for her. For the haters, she likes her name and she is very smart, has a master's degree and is very feminine, enjoys wearing dresses and loves the color pink. So your judgements aren't even accurate. A name is just that. A name.

Hello, my name is Madison. I am a girl who was born when this name was considered trendy. I personally wouldn't mind my name if there weren't so many stereotypes stuck on it. I think the trick to having the name Madison is to find a nice nickname for it; I personally go by "Mara" and "May" instead. Try using the first couple letters to find a shorter name to turn into your nickname.

This name has no personality, no strength, no weight. Don't let your daughter become the fourteenth Madison in her class.

As a surname it's fine, but as a first name it's absolutely ghastly. If you really needed to call your daughter "Maddie", couldn't you just have named her Madeline instead?

Pretty.

I don’t love it but it’s kind of nice. I’m eleven years old and I’ve seen the movie Splash so I know where it came from. Madison Avenue. We actually named our chicken that. My name is Madeline but I’m called Maddie and I think that Maddie is nice and I like it for a kid, baby, teen and adult but I really dislike Madeline. It sounds like an old lady’s name. To this day, I still wish my name was Madison and that’s the only spelling I like. People always assume that Maddie is short for Madison. Even my coach and one of my team mates on my basketball team called me Madison and I just let them because I like it. Even if my name was Madison, I’d still want to go by Maddie.

A patronimic masculine for a baby girl? Trash! So this name is a big no, thank you.

I think Madison is super cute, but it's really common. I prefer it spelled MADISYN. That's actually what I gave to one of my daughters as her middle name! Also, I think the meaning should be "daughter of Maud". Girls are getting named Madison, not boys!

My niece's name. She loves it. As a surname/boy's name gone girl's...this seems like such a fiery topic...sheesh.
At this point, I would no longer name my son this...or Addison, Ashley, Avery, Reese, Courtney, etc. As much as you may want to reclaim these boy names, or it’s a family name, you fell in love with it for a boy... it is not your child’s fight. I wouldn’t want to burden them. Only older people are surprised by the switch on gender, but for your child, their peers will not know that it was once a male name nor care.
That’s my two cents on the matter. Do what’s best for the kid, not you, is what I guess I’m trying to say.

I'm not too fond of surnames or city names being repurposed as first names. Do understand some of the possible motivations behind it, like wanting to give a child a unisex name or perhaps to preserve an ancestral surname that might otherwise disappear from the family tree. Harder to understand is somebody who names their child after a soap opera character or a minor celebrity, which might account for a few Madisons.

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Madison also sounds very stereotypically "trendy white American" to my ears and I can't help associating it with Ashley Madison dot com, the dating website designed specifically to attract married American men interested in committing adultery.

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In any case, it's not a name that resonates with me personally in terms of aesthetics, tradition, culture, or otherwise. If I were collaborating with a spouse on a baby name and had a veto, I would use it to cross Madison off of the list without a second thought.

Obvious masculine meaning. Why is this being used for girls?

So yeah, I was saddled with Madison and never knew so many people hated my name... I never really loved my name I usually go by Maddy. As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to like it more, my boyfriend likes it so I guess that’s nice (right?) I do know one other Madison, she spells her name “Maddie” which everyone thinks is the right way. My name constantly gets misspelled I’ve said my name was Madison and someone spelled it “Madason” which I get, sounding it out but, like, come on... so I guess to all the people that hate it so much, settle down a bit.

Madison seems like a nice name. It’s weird how it’s always been soooo trendy and popular as a girl’s name and thousands of baby girls would be named Madison every year or so, but the meaning of the name sounds like males should be named this rather than females. Madison means “SON of Maud/SON of Matthew”. Son. Not daughter. And this name doesn’t really sound all that feminine to me, but I could never name a boy Madison either. I used to think this was a girl’s name, but it sounds like it could make a comeback as a boy’s name, especially for women named Maud and men named Matthew to honor their son with this name. I still don’t know whether I prefer this name on a girl or a boy.

When I first saw this name I thought it meant "son of Madi."

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I'm ridiculous.

I don't mean to offend anyone with this name, and I am fine with people who like this name, but I just don't like this name at all. I know 6 Maddies who are Madisons, and there are about 10 ways to spell it. It doesn't sound good, and I think it would better suit a boy, but nowadays any boy with this name would be teased for having a "girl name".

This name would be cool to see on a boy. On girls it’s also pretty but way overused.

Woah, why do these ratings suck! It isn’t as bad as 53 percent! It’s even lower than the ratings of Lucas!

Sounds a bit masculine and surnamey-ish and I don't really like how it starts with the word "Mad".

While very common for females nowadays, it's become scarce for males since the 80s.

Good paired with Addison. In my honest opinion.

Nice name!

I used to dislike this name, but after hearing it used in a movie, I liked the way it sounded in full form. I feel like no girls use the full name and just use the shortened Maddy/Maddie. This name is extremely common and I hear it everywhere. I wish more girls used the full name, as it is pretty without being too girly.

Madison is a cute name. I understand that this is traditionally masculine and it originally started out as a boy’s name, but then it was eventually cancelled as a boy’s name. Madison is more of a girl’s name in my book anyways. Until I came on this website, I never thought of Madison as a boy’s name, it has always sounded feminine to me and I’ve met so many girls named Madison, no boys. I think it’s weird for Madison to end with -son and mean the Son of Maud when it’s commonly used as a girl’s name now. It’s so popular for girls right now, that I just wouldn’t use it on a boy! I wouldn’t stop anyone from naming their son this though!

My name is Madison. I like it, though I never really used to. I don't like it when people call me 'mad'. I was teased a little and I got mad. This boy would say do you know why you're name is Madison? Because your name has mad in it! I have never seen him since 2015, thankfully. People call me Madi mostly. That is how I like it.

I think Madison means “the daughter of Maud” FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. Simple, because girls are getting named this and not boys.

I always thought this name was a female name, I never knew it was also a male name as well. I honestly think this name is an okay name but not really my style, just seeing how popular this name is just makes me not like it even more. I hope that the popularity will go down in the future because it can be a lovely name in lots of different ways, but then again if the popularity goes down it still doesn’t change people's opinions, popular or not doesn’t matter.

I know Madison originates as a masculine name, well it was formerly a surname, then it became a male names and now it’s almost exclusive for girls. Honestly, I think it’s usually the names ending with -son that are actually more associated with girls when girls are DAUGHTERS. Madison is starting to be known as a feminine name and historically masculine. Names change gender overtime.

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Madison is a very beautiful name and I can see why it’s so trendy. It’s a very nice name and I personally prefer it for a girl. I can’t imagine this on a boy. It does look 99% feminine but it still doesn’t seem masculine enough to fit a young boy or a grown man. I’ve never even met a male at all with the name Madison so that’s just based off my personal impression. Actually, I can seem to picture this name on a male a little, but I still think the name suits girls better than boys!

Typical trashy name that Yankee loves. US citizens love these ridiculous names that the rest of the world finds horrible. Madison, Allison, Riley, Mason, Aubree etc... the list is really long.

You really need to do a little research before you vent your hatred of Americans while trying to pretend that you hate them because of their taste in names. Madison is currently #35, Riley #43 but has been as high as #8, and Mason #37 in England and Wales. Evidently "the rest of the world" doesn't find them so "horrible" after all. You can hate the names, but you can't say that they are uniquely American.

For some reason, it just always makes me think of medicine. Sorry!

It’s a great unisex name for both boys or girls. I love it on a girl, but I still like it as a boy's name too. It’s very popular for girls but it is so rare for boys. It’s unusual and unique to name your son Madison at this time. I’ve only met girl Madisons and have a few female friends with the name Madison, so I tend to think girl.

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Quiet honestly, I think it’s the names that end with -son that are better for girls and popular for that gender. Names like Madison, Addison, Emerson, and Allison. Though Allison isn’t supposed to be masculine. I absolutely love this name for a girl but it’s still masculine enough for a boy. It’s just more feminine due to my personal impression. I also love the nickname Maddy for Madison:)

As someone who lives in Madison, I wonder how many "Madisons" are in Madison.

I think that Madison is a beautiful name! For a girl and a boy! I'm a girl and when I was little and I would play games with my friends, I would always choose Madison to be my name for the game! I don't care about how many downs that I would get for this just for saying that Madison is a good girl name, but I think that Madison is a wonderful name! For a girl and a boy! So there.

This name is good for both genders. It doesn't sound as girly as names like Emma, Lucy, Zoe, Ashley etc, but is still okay for a girl really.

I think it’s beautiful for either sex! But I prefer it more on a girl since I met more girls with this name.

I hate the name on a boy it is soooo bad, it is far too feminine.

Wow, I didn't know so many people hated this name, especially on girls. I've always thought Madison sounded feminine (or maybe it's because I've only heard girls with this name) because it has Maddie in it which sounds girly to me. The suffix son and the meaning son of Maud doesn't matter to me. I cannot picture this name on a boy.

My name is Madison :)) I used to hate this name but I sort of like it now. I go by Madison but I let my close friends call me Madi. I don't really think it works for a boy, but that's just me :)

Who cares what it means? It’s a pretty name for a girl.

I think Madison is very cool on a boy. It's unique but not unheard of. It helps that you have male athletes named Madison. (e.g., Madison Bumgarner who is a baseball player for the SF Giants, Madison Hughes who is the captain of the US Rugby Team).

I have a friend named Madi, short for Madison. She always complains about her name not being exotic or feminine and prefers names she finds more proper like Madeleine or Madeline. I have to agree with her, it’s way too common and doesn’t really sound nice, especially with her twin with a name she loves more, Miranda.

I don't mind this name. It's not my favorite name but I don't dislike it either. My best friend is named Madison.

My name is Madison and I am a girl and I think that it is a beautiful name and that people should stop making fun of it just because mad=angry/mad and son=son/boy it dose not mean angry or mad boy. I am not a boy and I think that is very offensive!

My name is Madison and I go by Maddie. I have NEVER had someone make fun or say anything about my name. These comments are ridiculous! I have never met or heard of a boy being named Madison. It doesn't matter if it means "Son of Maud", it is a pretty name.

I never have met a boy named Madison so I tend to think of it as female. All the comments on it being "stripper" and "Blond" are inconsiderate. I find that most names on this website have the same comments. People are just saying mean things to feel better about themselves. The reason I don't like this name is not because of stereotypes but because of the popularity. I live in the US and it seems all the kids my age are named Madison, Emily, and Jacob. (I'm 13) It can be very confusing.

My 13 year old granddaughter is named Madison. She has been Maddie since she was a toddler. Watching her grow up and interact with her peers I've noticed that having the name Madison allows her to be more accepted into a peer group that suits her. She has a high 1Q of 135. She is smart and yet very shy. She loves to consider herself a "nerd" because she is so into video games, cos-play and other sort of nerdy activities. If she had a name that was too feminine her peers would be more reluctant to interact with her because she is a very pretty girl. Because of her shyness I think her name, Madison, makes her more approachable for kids in such male dominated activities. Besides, it's just a name! It doesn't make her who she is... that comes from what's inside. Names don't make a person so for anyone to judge another by their name is awfully shallow and not someone I would want my granddaughter to be associated with. I wonder if most the people leaving crappy comments have crappy names. Too bad this site doesn't make people use their own real name as their username. Maybe then we could all have a laugh at them for once!

As someone named Madison, I've always had mixed feelings about the name, especially these days I've been considering changing it. However, I'd like to believe that I'm much more than a trendy name. Yes, it's more 'masculine' but honestly- why does it matter? A name's meaning doesn't define whom that person will aspire to be. If we all live by our name's meanings, we would live in such a terrible and restricting society. Likewise, I have mutual feelings on my name. I personally think it's pretty, however these comments seem to detour me further and further from it.

I am neutral about this name. I prefer this on a boy. It's overused for girls.

I hate Madison on both boys and girls. For one it's a common surname, and it's just so overused, plus the meaning is boring.

Some of the things said about the name Madison are ridiculous and stereotyping. Just because some people who have this name do not so great things, it doesn't mean that every child named this beautiful girl's name is the same, it's the same as judging someone based on their appearance, but even more stupid. Since when does someone's name affect their personality?

I used to love my name, and I always shortened it to "Madi" with family. However, now I absolutely hate it. It just doesn't fit what I picture for it: popular, beautiful, shallow. Lets just hope it can be reclaimed.

Don't like it purely because there is A TERRIBLE property management company (read: slumlord) called Madison Park Financial.

Oh look, another old fashioned boy's name turned trendy for a girl, how original...{}
So over this trend. It has 0 originality. Kudos to the parents who choose this name for their sons, they're the real trend setters here.

My mum was very close to naming me Madison but I'm glad she didn't because it has become so common!

My name is Madison and I love my name and would never change it. I think it's rather pretty. I'm a girl and I seriously don't care about my name origin. I heard it meant SON OF MATTHEW and that's why my mum gave it to me- my dad's called Matthew and I know I'm not a son but who cares, it's cute. My mum calls me Maddy for short and I love it. My family is upper class, not "trashy" and I'm a girl, although does femininity really even matter? Just let people live and make their own choices and stay out of it.

Well, I don't like the name very much personally, but the origin of the name doesn't really matter any more. It's been used too often as a girl's name for anyone to try and change it. I say let people have their fun with the name Madison!

I am certainly not in love with this name! It is a masculine name with a masculine meaning, and should only be given to boys, if it's used at all! Girls don't need to be given boys' names because there are plenty of good girls names out there. If you want to use a Maddy name, please, please use Madelaine on your girl instead.
On boys this name is tolerable, but I still can't say I like it.

It doesn't matter how many girls are named Madison; the masculinity is right there in the meaning. Aside from that, it's just an ugly name. I hate the nickname Maddie, and I hate how every person I meet named Madison seems to be a special breed of annoying. Go with Madeline, Madelyn or Madalena, please.

People really like to ignore the fact that, if you add up the numbers this website provides, given that in 2015, all Madison's born in or before 1997 are adults, 16-17% of Madison's are already full adults, a number which will increase as the years go by. This is not just a name associated with little kids, and definitely does not mean that just because this is your name that you're going to be mean or unprofessional as you get older. It's literally just like popular names from the 20th century, like Susan, Karen, Michelle, etc, who people most likely used to think were infantile but are now just typical adult names, and I'm SURE that Madison will be the same way. It's just currently still pretty popular which is why people still think of it as an immature little kid name, even though it's NOT.

I strongly dislike "Madison". It's boring and plain. I have known too many girls bearing this name and its kre8v variations, such as Madysin or Madisyn. Very few of those girls were nice.

Whew boy. I'm quite surprised at all the backlash over this name! I mean, yes, it may seem peculiar to a majority of people to name your daughter a name that has -son as a suffix. But, I will admit, it does kind of have a feminine sound to it, and reminds me of names like Madeline and Matilda.
I honestly think that it is up to the parents to decide what they want to name their child. I feel that Madison can be used for either a boy or girl (even though I'd prefer it for a boy), even if it's lost its masculine feel in the 21st century.

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A name is a name, and I'm not going to hate anybody for a name they decide they should give a child. I mean, there are plenty of names other than Madison that have unfortunate meanings (such as Calvin meaning "bald" and Mallory meaning "unlucky", just to name a few).

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All I have to say is that you can hate a name. But, to the parents reading the comments, name your daughter or son whatever you want to name them. BUT, even though I don't wish to outright insult a name, I'll just say this: Would you name your daughter Jackson? Maybe Hudson? Perhaps even Anderson? Plus, Madison is quite trendy now. As of the time I post this it's nearly out of the Top 10 names in America, and it's been in there for almost twenty years... I think you can tell what I'm hinting at here, right?

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As I said before, I can understand why someone would want to name a girl Madison, but perhaps it's time to move on from it.

My name is Madison and I'm proud no matter what! Even if it has MAD or SON in it! I love my name :). It's very rare! Out of all my classes at school or in the whole entire school I'm the only MADISON! LOL :)

Every generation comes up with its own terrible trendy names. Many members of mine bear this one. I especially enjoy it when their parents try to make it seem unique by changing the spelling, e.g. Madyson.

Yes, Madison/Maddison is topping the charts for girls these days, but it will begin sliding into oblivion in a few years, just as Ashley did in the 80's. And it will become very time-stamped and dated.

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Why? Because it's a trendy name, not a classic. Madison is a male name and a surname. Why would a parent name their pretty little girl a name that means "son of Maude"? Same for the name Addison which means "son of Adam". And, since I am a teacher, I can tell you that the grade schools are chock full of little Maddies. If you want your child to be a Maddie, at least give her a classic female name -- Madeleine.

My name happens to be Maddison and until now, I had been proud of it. With past comments on this name, I am not so sure now. To all people with the name Madison or any rendition of it, don't let their negative comments get to you. Yes, they are entitled to their opinion of the name, but what they think does not make up who you are. Boy or girl, it is your name, and your parents must have had a reason for giving you the name, even if it was just because they liked it.

There's a strong possibility that Madison will be the name of my future daughter. I used to dislike this name but it has grown on me. I've read some mixed comments on Madison and personally I think that there is nothing wrong with it being used on a girl even if it's a bit masculine. Plus, it's socially acceptable.

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Names don't represent everything about people, but some unisex names sound very strong when they are used on girls and Madison reminds me of someone tough and never stops fighting for what she wants. That's exactly the quality a girl who lives in a society with the idea of sexism existing, needs to have in her. I do agree that she doesn't necessarily need a masculine name, but in my opinion, unisex names could, more or less, prevent people from making assumptions about things like whether someone is capable of doing something when seeing their names.

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Finally, it seems to be a very popular name. However, to be honest, I've only run into one Madison, and I don't know anyone else called Madison except for her. I'm not sure if some parents are avoiding this name because it's topping the chart. My guess is that it might drop in popularity in the near future though, just a prediction.

As a feminine name, I dislike the use of surnames meaning specifically "son of x" as feminine given names. Since when were daughters sons?

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As a masculine name, it's fine. Not a problem there.

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However, I could see a lot of the use of this name stemming from the fact that one could use the 'cute' diminutive Maddy/Maddie, which I'm not a fan of on its own merits because it reminds me of the word "mad".

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Plus, Madison is the capital city of Wisconsin.

I've gotten used to it as a girls' name, but I still think it's kind of stupid to name your daughter a name that means "son of---" but it's not that big of a deal, I guess.

A name does not make a person. A parent's naming style doesn't define someone. A name doesn't determine a personality trait. I'm not a stripper, I'm not trash, I'm not a spoiled brat, I'm not a mall rat, I'm not a dumb blonde, I'm not a "soon-to-be slut", and yeah, like most of you snobs, I don't like my name - but that's only because it's so very common in my life. Not because it's too "masculine". My parents aren't illiterate and they don't have "empty heads" just because they didn't name me Sarah or Emily or another "classic" name.

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The fact is, Madison is now a unisex name. You may perceive it as a boy name only, but it's the number nine girls' name in the US. It once reached number two. It ranks on the lists in many other nations. If it's reserved only for the special males whose parents want to bestow this name upon him, then why are girls being given the name? Tastes differ, and some use it, big deal. Others use Emma, equally if not more common and far less hated, or monikers as uncommon as Zephyrine. It is, through frequent usage for females now and sparse usage for males in the past, for both sexes. Sorry, you'll just have to suck it up and endure the hardship another person's child's name has done to your life. I mean, honestly, do you people feel so strongly about all of this? I'm only ranting because some of these comments have really shown me how today's world still has a long way to go for not judging right from the get-go - and this is about baby names! Who cares as long as the child's healthy and happy and destined for a long, wonderful life?

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It's classist to judge others by how they name a child, and call them trashy - the parents and the kids (but you're forgetting the kid doesn't decide their name; you can't penalize them for it).

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It's sexist to say any name is "too masculine" for a girl; that's all perception. Yes, the meaning is son of, but who pays attention to name meanings but the few name-nerds? I bet most of you don't mind the names Cecilia and Calvin, even if they have bad meanings. They're "classy", "stylish", right? But a girl named Madison is the lowest of the low. There's also the fact that as another poster commented, it could simply mean "child of", though I doubt it. In any case, think about this: are all people named George farmers? Are all named Melissa secretly honeybees? Don't tell me it's different just because you think it is; it's not, frankly. Apply your own points to names other than mine, and see how your Swiss-cheese arguments fall through.

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It's a name befitting a stripper... grasping at straws with that one. Any name could fit a stripper, because a stripper could have any name, Mary to Madison to Chardonnay. Also, a man could be a stripper, but you don't see anyone saying Aidan, another commonly attacked "trashy" name, belongs to a stripper. Soon-to-be-slut is the worst, though. Why do you care about what some girl does sexually, and what does that have to do with her name? Again, nobody calls men sluts, but here we are, a girl's named Madison, oh she must be a blonde ditzy slut with no education!

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The saddest part is, some of the people leaving these comments are women, perpetuating these stereotypes!

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I'm not saying you can't hate the name; as I said, I hate it as well. But don't try to justify it. Just admit you have a different taste than my parents, name your kids something you like, and move on with life. Don't prop up your hatred on asinine points.

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Cue the seventeen down votes because I dared to disagree with the popular opinion. With each one, you'll only prove my point. Your choice though.

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Edit 12/5/16: -2 already! I'm so happy I provoked you so! Also, I wanted to add that I wasn't named simply because it was popular; I was named after a family friend who died shortly after my birth. My name has meaning for my family, no matter what these comments say.

My name is Madison and I'm really cool and glad I was named after a mermaid, sorry you are all jealous about how cool my name sounds and how cool I am.

I personally think Madison is a great name for a child, although most Madisons are girls. I have a sister named Madison and also a friend. My sister chooses not to go go by Maddie or Madi, she stays Madison. My friend goes by Madi. If someone is considering naming their child Maddie, they should go with Madison and let the child choose if they want to be Maddie or Madison.

I personally don't really like this name for a girl. It's a boy name. I know that sounds pretty ironic coming from a girl named Morgan, but here's what I think: if it has the "-son" ending, and means "son of so-and-so" it's a boy name. That being said, I would never name a girl this, but if you want to, go ahead.

I like this name but it is a bit overused to me. By the way, who the heck would name their boy child Madison? It's SUCH a feminine name.

I LOVE the name Madison for a girl so much! :D ❤ I would advise all you Madisons to ignore the haters of your stylish, cute name and to be proud of your name. I love your name and so do many others so please just focus on the positives all Madisons. Xoxo

Well listen up you haters out there my name is Madison and I love it. I mean it's peoples name so get over it, you have no control over what my name is or any Madison out there. So if you don't like it then don't name your child that. I'm a girl so I'm not a angry boy whoever said that. And I don't appreciate the mean commentary about my name. So its our name if you don't like it then GET OVER IT.

I'm a bit soft on this name because I had in a classmate in jr. High named Madison who was a smart and nice girl. But yeah, like the others said here, bad name.

If you use this on a girl she's probably really a boy with anger issues.

Urgh, this name is awful. Besides the obvious masculine meaning, it's grossly overused, and I've had the misfortune of hearing it in France too. Over here it's definitely associated with beaufs (basically our equivalent of rednecks/chavs/etc.). It also sounds like the name of a bitchy popular girl on one of those corny teen dramas.

Please just let this name dramatically decline in popularity; it's all I'm asking. The name "Madison" has been a common name for QUITE some time and it's not even a decent name. I can't even take it that seriously on a boy or even as a surname. Madison brings to mind a modern day, spoiled brat. An all around fake. My association to the name is so thickly strong that whenever I hear about a girl named Madison I can't help but to cringe. This name has so much hate. Why is it still popular?

Hello! My name is Madison, but I go as Madi. I am 14 years old. I am disappointed by all the hateful comments. Young people named Madison see all the hateful comments directed towards them and are hurt. I love my name. I know other Madison's and it is a little annoying to be in the same class, but I can deal with it. For all the people that say that Madisons are bratty and unintelligent and that the name sounds like a stripper name and the definition makes it a boy's name, stop! The name does not define the person, the person defines their name. I am the smartest in my class, a very hard worker, a feminist, I care about others, and I am many other good things. I have bad qualities too, but so does everybody, regardless of their name. And I will never be a stripper. And I like the definition of son of warrior or son of Maud or son of Matthew; I think it is interesting and cool and shows I can do a 'boy' or 'girl' job or hobby. Now please stop the hateful comments. Can't you do something kind instead? And parents considering the name, you should go with it if you like it!

I hope this name is off of the top 10 names. It's about time that a better name takes its place. I can't help but to picture "Madison" on a modern day brat. Some all around fake who lives for attention. Madison equals a bratty attention whore. I can't even appreciate the name for a boy because of what type of girl I envision with the name and for the fact that I'm just sick and tired of the name all together.
Madison has been on the top 10 names since 1997. Come on; give it a rest already.

Don't really care if this name is for boys or girls, but I feel that most parents that name their daughters Madison definitely want their kid to be perceived as affluent, preppy and "All-American". It honestly sounds like the name of a bitchy, WASPY character in a bad chick-lit novel. That or the name of a soap opera character. Like, "Madison Harvey was a high-powered attorney on the Upper East Side with looks to kill and a penchant for hosting lavish parties in her penthouse apartment." Cheesy.

Alright to everyone who is on here saying that Madison is a boys name or it sucks, it's ugly, whoever has that name is stupid, and many other insults to the name you obviously have nothing else better to do in your life than to try and ruin other people's lives. If you don't like the name good for you, don't name your kid that, but for God's sake DO NOT come onto sites like these and insult the name and the people who have it. Your name does not define who you are ok? You do, and if you want to make a big deal out of the fact that it means "son of maud" good for you but guess what? It is just where it comes from. It shouldn't make it so that only certain people can be named it. It's a name- GET OVER IT! Now to address the popularity fact, so what if a ton of people have that name, if you want to give your child a creative name that is your choice but there are 7.2 billion people that live on earth, people are going to have the same names, but it is their personality that makes them unique, not their name. As for the people attacking the parents, when you have kids how would you feel if someone attacked your child because of their name and called you a moron for naming them that? I know you would be mad. Well guess what? The parents of Madisons love their child and gave that name out of love and they are probably 10 times smarter than those of you who sit on here insulting people all day long just for the attention. You can get mad or hate me for standing up for this name but I don't care because I happen to think that ALL names are fantastic and NO ONE should tell you that you or your name is stupid. And if you have something to say about this go ahead and click the reply button because you will get a piece of my mind. Thank you to all of the people who respect others with this name, I happen to love it.

I agree it's a great name and it means gift of God :) I like that. My name is Madison and I didn't even know why I was called it! It also a very cute name! :D Please don't hate on the name.

Honestly, I really don't like this name for a boy or a girl. It sounds way too common for girls to be a boy's name and it just sounds so odd for a girl.

Oh, and the name Jessica was started as a fictional character's name in a book. So Madison came from Splash? The media influences a lot of names...

Just no for a girl. It's a surname, a masculine name, a "son of" name. Why do that to a girl? If your heart is set on adding yet another Maddie/Mattie to the kindergarten classrooms of America, please consider Madeline/Madeleine/Madelyn/Matilda.

I love this name it's also the name of my best friend. I'm usually not one for more modern names but for some reason I like it. It's unique and sweet.

Still just a street in New York.

I happen to be a Madison. Yes, Madison is a very commonly used name. There are so many Madison's that I know. There are 3 Madison's in my English class. I've read a lot of the comments. That's your opinion on the name Madison. Like I said, the name Madison is used a lot, so are so many other names. People say the name Madison is bad because it has mad in it. I think not. Look it up. When I looked up the name Madison I got so many definitions. We're amazing, beautiful, talented, smart, and many more things. We can do anything if we set our mind to it. We will do anything for friends. Stay by your side no matter what. We will make good friends. Think of what kind of Madison's there are. City Madison's, country Madison's, shy Madison's, famous Madison's. Just because Madison is a common name doesn't mean every time you give a girl the name Madison they're going to be mean or mad all the time because the word mad is in the name. It's a nice name to have. Don't change it because it's a common name. You're one of a kind. If you want to name your child Madison, don't think about changing it. We're actually really nice. I LOVE my name. It's a common name, but every Madison has their meaning of their name. Tell a Madison their name is unique and special and not to change it. If you're a Madison reading this, I love your name. Just be your own definition of Madison. Just my thoughts. Look a little deeper into a name before you judge them about their name being common. You may be the reason they change their name. Say something nice to somebody with a common name. It will change their day.
(Thanks for taking the time to read this. It means a lot.)

Don't worry Madisons- I really like this name which has unfortunately negative stereotypical comments! And yes I have met nice girls called Madison before!

My name is Madison, and I am a girl. People DO tend to not know that my name is actually Madison, thinking it is Maddie. I do really love my name, even with about the 1,000 possible nicknames I can have.

The name Madison is used predominantly on girls. I think it is a great name. Surname names are not the only names that have less than stellar meanings. One definition of Portia is pig. I would rather tell someone my name means son of Maud than tell them my name means pig. Madison has become one of the most common names for girls not just for the year, but for the last 100 years. Considering that the name did not start being used much until 1985 that is quite a feat. Madison was never a popular name for boys. I would much rather have the name Madison over Madeline, because I find it much more interesting. Madison is modern, while Madeline is old-fashioned. There is nothing wrong with a name telling when you were born. Names usually stay popular for a couple of decades any way. When you are 50, people are not going to think you are 20 whether your name is Madison, Madeline, Molly, Megan, Mackenzie, Marjorie, or Margaret.

This is my name and I HATE and HATE it! Instead of Maddie, I get called "Madisoian" from Macedonians from 6th grade. I also get called the nickname "Mads". My mom's choice before Madison was Lexi, just Lexi. There is one other person named Madison in my school, but she prefers to be called "Maddie" (like I do) My mom was also going to name me Karen after her. But no! She had to stick with this hideous name and this gross spelling! I prefer my name to be spelled Madisyn or Madisen because it's less popular and more unique. I hate some unisex names like this one! I hate the name Madison and the "Mad" and "Son" part of it! This was about to be my sisters name but no, this had to be my name, ugh! Thank god it's the 3rd most hated name in America! This is my SECOND most hated name, my first is McKenna. I especially hate the meaning "Son of Maud". It works better on a boy than a girl! Why mom? Why?

My name is Madison and I don't see anything wrong with the name. Now it has become extremely popular these days and it seems to be overused to a point where people cannot stand the name anymore. But nonetheless, it is still a quite beautiful name. To me, the meaning of a name means nothing. Why do people think girls have to have feminine names? These days people are naming their girls Dylan, Devin, Randall, etc. These are all masculine names and I find they are adorable as girl names. It shows strength and power and so does the name Madison. Who cares if the name Madison has a meaning with the word son in it. It honestly does not matter and obviously many people love the name. As do I.

Alas, all I can think of when I hear it is 'the capital of Wisconsin'. Not a name that I, personally, would give a child.

While I dislike my own name, Maddison (and would have preferred to have been called something less masculine, I suppose), I don't honestly see why people have pushed so much hate toward it. There is nothing wrong with parents who choose this name for their children, most people don't even know it was a boy's name in the beginning.
There's no point to making people who share the name "Maddison" and are graced with a female gender feel awful, so please keep unpleasant and harmful opinions to yourself. While I'm not proud of my name as such, I've had a day ruined by comments of people I don't even know on it.

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The name is not what makes the person.

You talk pure crap just like a Madison! You're just proving what I said even more. Your father works with IBM and your mother CNN and all that. As though I'm supposed to feel scared or something? Ha! Your parents' jobs are irrelevant to the discussion. The only thing that I do agree with is that not every single Madison has blonde hair. A great majority of them do though, from what it seems-though features don't really matter in this case. Doesn't take away the fact that the name is followed by this stigma of belonging to an excessively preppy, whiny, spoiled and fake type of girl. A little girl throwing a tantrum because she didn't get her way to an older one, freaking out because someone didn't get the right color of a car they wanted.
I'm not saying you are like that. Just that the name itself draws that image. I've seen it countless times with Madisons and I've known a lot of them.

My name is Madison, and in no way am I a "stupid" blonde (I don't even know where that stereotype came from; there’s no basis). I’m one of the top students in my class, despite struggling with chronic illness - and I’m not stuck up, either. I was named after a great family friend named Addison, a man who died when I was young - he was perfectly fine with it. I choose to think that despite the “manly” meaning, I am creating my own with my name by what I do, not on the basis of a movie or the meaning some deem must be true. Keep your negative comments to yourselves, morons; the fact that you feel an incessant need to comment about a name, that, once again, is a basis for one's own made destiny, shows what kind of person you really are.

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Furthermore, though I know many people with my name, I'm not deterred by any of your opinions. You’re free to disagree with me, but don't call people who named their children this illiterate, strippers, or trash. My father works for IBM, has a top-secret clearance, and my mother basically puts together and edits the news you see on CNN International. What was the counterclaim against me, again?

Ugh. Chalkboards on the wall type of name.
Sterotypical blonde, preppy and excessively whiny, fake, spoiled snob type of a name if I ever did see one.
I am so sick of this name. I don't like it even if it's a surname.

Holy smokes! I can't believe how angry people get over this name! Guess what, what someone names their baby has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! AND FRANKLY IT'S NOT REALLY ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS. So get over yourselves.
Calling someone ignorant for loving a name is actually pretty ignorant in itself. Madison is not originally a boys name, it's a SURNAME! Get your facts straight.
While yes it is popular, I think that means something. This name is bound to be well received (so long as you aren't talking to some of the people on this site of course).

Why does everyone think Madison can be just a boys name? My name is Madison and I'm a girl. Madison can be a girls name too! I don't care about the meaning "Son of Maud." I personally do not care. I think Madison is more of a girls name to me then a boys name! I do not know a single boy named Madison. I know one girl in my grade with the same name! It was my moms favorite name so she decided to name me Madison. I was named after the mermaid, Madison from the movie Splash, I personally don't care about if it's a joke. To me, it's not. I don't care if you think it's a joke. Madison can also be a girls name and I love it and I'm proud of my name and always will be. I don't know why people think Madison can be just a boys name, it's okay if you don't like it. Like the "Son" in the name Madison, you can't name your name "Madidaughter." It makes no sense! I don't care if my name can be a boys name, I love it and I'm proud of it.

Um, okay, why does everyone care who names their kid Madison or not? My name is Madison, I'm a girl, who cares! I honestly don't think it's your place to say whether or not a parent should name their kid something. It's a unisex name, therefore a boy AND a girl can be named Madison.

I can NOT stand this name on a GIRL! It is NOT a girls name! MadiSON.
I have this name in my top ten for boys, though. Madison Ross. (:

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And I know a male Madison who is about 20 years old.

I positively loathe this as a female name. It's one thing to give your daughter a name traditionally used for males, but why would you give a girl a name that pointedly refers to her as someone's son?

Why so much hate for the name Madison? It is absolutely a beautiful feminine name. Sorry, but I cannot see a guy named Madison.

I see nothing feminine about this name.

I am not a fan of the name Madison, it is extremely overused and is originally a boys name and to me sounds very masculine. I tend to think of someone named Madison as flaky, intelligent and overly interested in themselves.

In my eighteen years I have known five Madisons- and I don't even have a social life! One of them was an attention whore who pretended to have psycological problems in order to garner sympathy and friendship-and it worked. Ugh. This name is SO lacking in originality and sounds like a surname a parent randomly picked up from a phonebook and tacked onto their child. It's better for boys, but I don't like it for either gender. Don't get me wrong, I am sure there are loads of fine, lovely Madisons of both sexes-I've known some, but I just don't like the sound of this name.
And the idea that feminine names cannot be strong/ girls cannot be strong unless they have a masculine name is a preposterous chauvenist insult. There is a unique and unmatched strength in feminity.

I hate the name Madison passionately. It is so common it is unbelievable and is very masculine and unattractive. It boggles my mind how people would want to name their daughter this name that was originally made for boys.

Yes, this name has the suffix 'son' and the meaning is 'Son of Maud', but if you like how this name SOUNDS, and aren't a stickler for meanings, then why can't you name your daughter this? You people who are commenting horrible, nasty things on how you hate the name- the solution is simple- DONT comment at all! If you don't like the name, what's stopping you from not liking it? Keep your nasty comments to yourself. A lot of people, including me love this name and your sour attitude is unecessary. If you don't like the name, don't name your daughter that. If you do like the name, don't be hesitant on what other people think because it's your daughter, you'll be the one taking care of her for the rest of your life, so why should a random anonymous person online stop you from naming your daughter that? They aren't taking care of your children! You don't even know them. I haven't even seen the movie 'Splash' so you can't say that I like this name because of the movie. I like how it sounds. We live somewhere where we have the right to name our children whatever we want, even if you do get criticized for your name- over shine them with your personality. In our current society, trust me- the last thing people care about is your name. You're judged on your attitude, personality, even looks- but never your name. Girls can be named this and so can boys, whatever floats your boat. My cousin Madison grew up to be a lawyer, and her name was definitely not an obstacle of getting there. If you work hard the university professors won't say "oh, we can't put her through because she has a boys name."
Lastly, most people don't live by the meaning of their name, because is everyone named taylor a tailor? Is everyone named Paige a page? Exactly.
I love this name so much and my daughter will definitely be named this because I LIKE IT.

This name just sounds so plain and boring, no idea why it's so popular. O.o I guess it's old fashioned and easy to remember?

Before I found this site, I began noticing how common Madison is as a name. I remember Madison, a porn star in the 90's and I lived in Madison, WI for a time, and there's James Madison, but I never expected Madison to become a popular, non porn star name.
And I don't get why.

Madison is more of a boy's name where I am concerned.

I actually like this name on a girl, despite its meaning. It just sounds attractive to me.

I think Madison is a lovely name. I can see a lot of people using it. I do not care if you do not like it. It is a name so deal with it. Don't you have something better to do than sit here and complain how ugly the name "Madison" is? Get a life moron. It gets me so upset, because my name is Madison. It is very original at my school, It is not used, I think I would've been the 1st Madison for a while, It is a popular name... I wouldn't want another name but Madison.. So get a life.

The name Maddie sounds beautiful, mature, and one of those names that has a lot of good nicknames.
The only downside that I can see is how popular it is.
Cheers. :)

This name is so ugly! And a bit dated for me.

This is a ridiculously boring name, and frankly I am surprised it's so popular.

I've never understood the appeal and popularity of this name for a girl other than the nickname 'Maddie'. It's not only masculine but it originated as a result of a joke in a movie (Splash - mermaid calls herself Madison). It just strikes me as a name with little character - a bit boring and dull.

Madison is a nice name to me. I think it's good for all ages, it's preppy, and it's classy. It's unique enough but the teacher won't mess her name up. I like Madison.

This name, in my opinion, is better for boys.

My name is Madison, and I like it. I think the name Madison can sound mysterious/quiet, preppy, or girly. You can also go by Madi/Maddy/Maddie, which is super cute for people less than 20 years old. Although I usually don't like common names, the name Madison has a nice, versatile, clean sound.

Boring and overused. I've gotten sick of this name a long time ago.

I hate this name. It's the ugliest name of all on girls. It's stupid that it was a guy's name and means son, but even worse is it is just so hideously ugly. It sounds like medicine. I can't hear it without cringing, and saying it leaves a sick taste in my mouth. Ick! It's beyond me how anyone could think this pretty. You would seem to be deprived of beauty to think there is anything remotely sweet about this gag-inducing surname.

I like the name Madison for a girl. Who cares about the 'son' ending?.. the name Alison ends in son and nobody seems to care about that ^.^

Ok, I understand if you just don't like the name or you're a stickler about meanings, but it is just rude to call someone's name ugly & trashy. I have absolutely LOVED growing up with the name and yes I am a very feminine FEMALE. I don't give a flying fart in space if it means "son of maude." And I love the movie Splash even though it's not where my parents got the idea. I have never met a male with my name, and only 1 other female. There are a lot of little girls now with it, so it is more popular. Popular names are still pretty, and in my opinion you shouldn't rule out names because other people have them. A person's inner individuality ahould suffice for identity. It's pretty easy to call someone's name ugly & trashy over the internet, but keep it classy jeez. And my parents aren't stupid for naming me a classically masculine name- it's called being progressive, this isn't the dark ages.

I like Madison. I don't care if it's trendy, and I don't care if it's used for a girl despite ending in -son. Doesn't bother me, I still think it's a good name.

I am rather surprised at all the posts on here saying that Madison is a bad name for a girl. Maybe it's because the name ends with "son", and chances are it was a boy's name before the "Splash" movie came out. I love the name Madison. However, it has gotten to be really common these days. Moms-to-be who are considering naming your daughters Madison... be prepared! In a few years there will be a Madison A., Madison B., Madison Q., and Madison T. All in one class (I feel for them... I have a name that is painfully common in my generation). I still think Madison is a pretty name though.

I hated Madison. It makes me think of the city in Wisconsin, and it's way too trashy.

How many people know the meanings of names? Madison is WAY too popular for people my age (I am 13 and Australian). My friend Maddison says it means Son of the Mighty Warrior. Names like Dana mean Baby Cow and we still use them. My name means deep dark black wood. Not everyone wants girly girl princessy names for their daughter.

I don't like this name all that much for either sex... honestly, not my cup of tea. I would never use it for either gender, especially on a female. I do think other people have the right to name the children whatever they want. However, similarly, everyone has a right to their opinion. And here's mine:

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Personally I just wish that people would consider the scores of very feminine and beautiful names available for girls before using names that were originally meant for boys. There are lots of girl names that I feel don't get enough credit. Yeah, I know that this name is now more popular for girls, but that really doesn't change the name's history nor does it change its meaning. I read plenty of people on here saying stuff like, "Yeah, it used to be a boy's name, SO WHAT?!?" So what, indeed. If you don't care about the name's history or meaning, go right ahead and use it. Knock yourself out. You can name your daughter that if you want. I personally don't mind and no one will stop you. Just accept that other people might be turned off by your choice, because a name's history and meaning does mean something to them. You who like Madison on a girl definitely have a right to your opinion. But so do those who don't like the name on girls because of its male meaning/history.

I stand alone in liking this name for a girl. Who cares if it ends in -son? Is that going to make your daughter grow a penis overnight?

I love the name Madison. It doesn't even sound like a boy name anymore. Anybody with a son who also has Madison as family name is SOL! Civil War blah blah blah. That's how life is. Get over it.

For those who feel Madison is not feminine or dislike it, the name Maddie (for short) is derived from Magdelena, a holy woman in the bible. The name represents a strong, honest and kind person. A name truly shines or dulls depending on the person who carries it. A beautiful, kind person can make any name look good, in fact my dog is named Madison - Maddie for short. Some of the comments are quite rude toward those who may love the name. Maybe it's best to keep your negative opinions to yourself, and live and let live. If you don't like it, fine. Say you don't like it, but don't make unintelligent judgements towards others who might. Practically every girl in Kentucky is named Madison and there is a reason why. It's beautiful. :)

That's a ridiculous argument. You are basically saying that Madison and Magdalena are the same name because they share the same potential nickname, Maddie. By that logic, people should just name their daughters Magdalena instead of Madison. THAT I approve of, because Magdalena is a much better name for a girl.

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Also why would you WANT to share a name with tons of girls where you live? So you can conform to everyone and be mixed up with someone else all the time? I should think that you would want to have a more unique, memorable name that better defines you as an individual. But to each his own, I suppose.

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P.S. We are entitled to our opinions, negative or not. Not everyone is going to see eye to eye with you.

Such a tacky, pretentious name for a girl. I'm sorry, but I just can't see how a name ending in "son" can be considered feminine at all. Parents who are set on something beginning with "mad" should instead consider Madeline--classic, beautiful, and has plenty of potential nicknames. I appreciate that some parents want to think outside the box, but this trend of slapping masculine names onto little girls is getting old and irritating.

My wife wanted to use this name if we had a daughter. I'm glad we had a son. I detest this name for a girl. Why name somebody whose image connotes a 19th century President? And which has the word 'son' at the end. You can't get a less feminine name than Madison. What were people thinking?

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At least you can go with 'Maddie'.

I don't mind the name Madison, I think its definitely feminine. It's a bit overused and I don't think I would use it as a first name, but maybe as a second name:) xoxo

Madison. Way, way overused. Like McKenzie and Kaitlyn and the rest of those trendy names. And I dislike "Maddie" even more. Yuck.

Great name for boys. For girls it's pretty weird.

Madison is honestly my most hated girl's name. The meaning of it doesn't even bother me that much, but just say it out loud. It sounds ugly, whiny, and bratty. I know not ALL Madisons are like that (I'm sure MOST aren't even like that!) and I know a girl named Madison who is VERY smart, talented, and one of the sweetest people I've ever met, BUT that's just what the name sounds like to me. I also think Madison will become the new Jennifer. I've known way too many Madisons ranging in the 0-12 age range for it not to be.

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I REALLY love Madeline though.

This is by no means my favorite name, but I don't particularly mind it either. The city of Madison, Wisconsin isn't such an unfortunate namesake compared to other place names. Money magazine even called it the best place to live in the US back in 96. I do however, despise the nickname "Maddy". I'd still take Madison over Madelyn or Addison any day. I don't care about the "son of Maud" meaning at all. The name Charlotte, derived from Charles, means man. And that is undoubtedly a feminine name, right? If you just don't care for Madison on a girl, that's fine, but don't bring up the "meaning" argument all the time.

I have a cousin named Madison (female). She refused to ever go by a nickname so she was strictly Madison. She's now a senior in college and I have a feeling she doesn't like her name much.

My best friend is named Madison. We call her Madi for short. I don't see why everyone's like, "Oh well this is a dumb name because it's for boys!" and all that, because it's a unisex name. It's a sweet name for girls and a tough name for boys. For girls the name is overused, but I still like the name. I mean really, why is there such a fuss over unisex names these days? Madison is a good name for boys and girls, so we shouldn't be arguing over it, right?

It's a nice name, but ENOUGH ALREADY! You can't throw a rock in a playground without hitting a Madison.

Wow, I have never seen such hostility, by presumably grown people, towards a name.
Lest we all forget, that A Rose, by any other name, still smells the same. It's a name, for crying out loud.
Both of my daughters (now 22 and 17) are beautiful, strong, intelligent young women. They both graduated high school early, and are doing just fine... Despite being named ASHLEY and MADISON.
Get a grip people. And although it's been stated many times prior, remember that young people do come to this site to look at people's opinions of their names. There is absolutely no reason for all the cruel words. None.

Trendy. Very trendy. Plus, it means "SON of Maud", making it masculine, no matter how many people use it as feminine nowadays. And parents, if you want to use this name but you're having a daughter, you could always use the softer, much more feminine name Madeline, right?

I am 17 and my name is Madison. I have a 4.0 GPA, I love to read, I don't hate everyone, and I am not stuck up or rich. You have every right to hate my name. But you do not have the right to categorize me because of your preconceived notions about a NAME. I think we all need to keep in mind that names aren't detached from the individual... and comments hurt, especially when the comment targets a personality. DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. A parent's preference does not define an individual. So if you are really so bored that you need to viciously attack something inanimate like a name, then the fact that this name is appalling to you is the least of your problems.

Personally, I've hated this name ever since I was a child. It seems very weak, like the kind of name you would find on a cheerleader or shopaholic. I also object to the mass transformation of male surnames into girl's first names (Avery, Riley, Addison, etc.). Female names with "-son" on the end make no sense. I've often joked that everyone named Madison should really have been named "Madidaughter."

A boring, nothingy, virtually meaningless name. I hope it goes away soon.

Madison makes Lady Maude cry.

What part of the -son ending is unclear to people? Names have meanings, whether you want to ignore them or not. Naming a girl Madison is the equivalent of naming a boy Johnsdaughter.

A terrible name. Unappealing sound, uninspired meaning, not to mention that it's sickeningly popular. I pity anyone, male or female, with this name.

I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone would want to bestow a name that means "son of" on their beautiful feminine daughter. That being said, I don't hate this name, but I don't love it either. It makes a good masculine middle name though.

I know a Madison. Actually, I know 4 Madisons and 1 Madisan. One of them is sweet, caring, nice, feminine, and beautiful. The others? Not so much.
I don't like this name. It's too popular. I hate all of those popular names like Ashley, Lindsay, Hayley, Jennifer, Rebecca, etc.
I don't like the sound of this name; and it's so trendy. What girl wants to be one of three Madisons in her class?

It's not really a bad sounding name at all, but I wouldn't use it. Not really my style.

My name and I am a girl! I love this name and I also love to shorten it to Maddie! (:

I personally cannot understand the appeal in giving your daughter a name that was used as JOKE in a Tom Hanks movie. The writers had the mermaid pick the name because the idea of the name Madison on a girl was so ridiculous. And it still is. I look forward to seeing this name regarded as terribly dated and unpopular as the names Myrtle and Gertrude are now.

I used to have a extremely visceral "YUCK" reaction to it and now it's hardly a blip on my name fug radar. This is what overexposure does. However, it's still bleak and shabby choice when all said and done. And it's still no different from Adamson or Johnson.

Stop this stupidity!

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You do realise that names are not strictly assigned to a certain gender, don't you? Names CAN be unisex. Look at Charlie, Alex, Nicky, Taylor, Ashley, Lee.

So what if Madison was a boys name! GET OVER IT! It's a great girls name! Seriously would anyone in their right frame of mind name their son Madison instead of their daughter?! A day in NEVER!

Personally I love the name Madison, it sounds like a more grown up version of Madeline. Many people on this comment board say they hate the name Madison but if everyone hates it so much why is it still to this day a very popular GIRLS name? Which obviously means most people think this name is nice.

I do NOT like this name, BUT if you find it ridiculous on a girl simply because it means son of Maud it would be just as ridiculous for any boy whose mother isn't called Maud. I personally dislike this name because of the MAD part, not because of the son part.

People who think that this is a good female name because of Amanda, Samantha, Mandy and so on, please get a life. Those names have nothing to do with being a man or anything like that.
You're either stupid and think that catholic church worships cats because of the word or just refuse to admit that you have become used to the name on girls or that you don't care about it being obviously masculine etc.

I think this name is very sweet and pretty. It is suitable for all ages and ONLY girls - it's so feminine! People who have this name are so lucky!

It ends in son and is way too common. I could never give this name to a girl. It's not nice for a boy either but still many times better.

Yes, it means 'son of maud', but did you ever notice that there is NO NAME that means 'daughter of'? Ashley and Tracy were guys names, but nobody cries 'that's a BOYS name' when you name your daughter Ashley. Yes, there are names that are meant for boys only, but not everybody wants a super frilly girly girl name for their daughter. And no I actually do not like the name Madison. The MAD part bothers me and Maddy/Maddie is incredibly annoying.

Uh, yes they do, particularly in countries where Ashley is still considered a boy name and still used. I love the generalisations.

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I think Madison has now become the Tiffany or Brittany of the 2000's. Vapid, air headed, preppy name stemming from a joke in a stupid film.

Madison is a horrible name for a girl. I catch not why parents are taking boy's names (Addison, Peyton, Hayden, Riley) and turning them into girl's names! It means Maud's son!

I think everyone here is over exaggerating. I personally believe this is a beautiful name. Do we really give a crap about name meanings anymore?

This name is WAY too popular right now. This name came to be a girls name through a movie where the character gets it from a street sign. I doubt half the girls who have this name now even know where it comes from. It's clearly masculine and it's even more obviously masculine for Americans because it's the last name of one of our presidents. I can't wait until this name dies down. Not only do I think it sounds bad (as a girl's OR boy's name), it will date anyone who has it, the way that names like Rose or Susan or Jessica will date someone to a time period. Not to mention whichever girl has this name has to come to terms that it, again, came from a movie where the character unknowningly chose a man's name as her own.
In conclusion, I think the name sounds bad, has a bad origin for the girl's version, is way too trendy, and will become dated in about 10 years.

Completely tacky, soulless, uninspired, juvenile, and overused. I don't see the appeal of this name, though I will admit that I thought it was kind of interesting the first time I saw it used on a girl. The nickname Maddie is also extremely overused, and makes me think of the Blue Meanies from the movie Yellow Submarine. It sounds like "Mad at son" or "Mad is son," and doesn't even sound in the least feminine. When I hear this name, I think, "Ooh, over-trendy parents!"

Why not Madeline? It is way prettier and it was meant for a girl, unlike Madison!

This is my little sister's name. I don't really think it suits her. I actually do not like the name, and I despise the nicknames "Maddie", "Maddi", or "Maddy".

I don't want to bash the name Madison, though I do want to say that it's overused. I'm just tired of seeing so many Madisons. To add my two cents to the interesting conversations above, Madison is bearable for a girl, but very nice for a boy.

My name is Madeline and it's so pretty, not like ugly Madison. I absolutely HATE that name. In my opinion it is HORRIBLY overused in every way. It shouldn't be a name.

Madison is not feminine sounding. You (general you) think it's feminine because most Madisons you've ever heard of have been girls.

My friend's name is Madison, but she goes by her middle name (Bailey) but whenever she says it, she pronounces is "Mad-i-sin" so the "son" never given a second thought.

I fully agree with the Anonymous User from 12/10/2008. No one's forcing you to like this name, but feelings will be hurt if people keep on mercilessly bashing, so please try to be more considerate, at least. Madison may be a "fad", I suppose, but this name has always sounded feminine to me, more so than masculine. That's probably why I've never had problems with this name. The "son" honestly doesn't bug me, either. I guess I'm more tolerant when it comes to names. XD.

I really don't see how this name is popular. Though a lot of popular things suck these days.

I love this name for a girl, and until the other day at the dentist, I had never met a MALE Madison, but that day there was one sitting beside me. I still like this for a girl, better, because when he got up to walk towards the room he was hanging his head and got quiet (he had been talking up a storm before that). I don't know if he was ashamed of his name or afraid of the dentist. I'm guessing it's the first.

This name is not a good name. I understand its recent popularity for girls; it sounds different and it's sharp & clean. But it is too sharp in my opinion. There is no softness, no poetry, no femininity. I've never met a Madison but I imagine her to be boring, maybe snobby and not very smart.

Can this fad die already, please?

I don't understand the "name fits" argument. Honeyboo would probably work quite well on my little girl but I doubt she'd want it later.

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That aside Madison is a fad. It's not the worst name out. Personally, I don't understand the use of beefy surnames and what makes me really cringe about this one is that its surge in use stems from a joke in a really, really pathetic film.

My little cousin's name is Madison. The name fits HER. I hate it when people say a name is for a boy or girl or black or white. My son is named Skylar and I'm a white girl and my name is Shanika. People think it's strange when they hear my name and they form an opinion before they get to know me. A name is just a name and it should be respected as is.

I really don't know why everyone is so hostile to this name. This is my name and I think it's a really nice, lovely name for girls and boys. Yeah, so maybe it really is a boy's name, I really don't care. It's not like anyone hates me because I have a modern, overly popular name. Just keep that in mind.

I hate when people turn masculine names into feminine names. Especially the ones with "son" right in the name. Pretty soon there won't be any names left for the boys that won't seem feminine because parents will have taken all the male names and given them to their girls. Ugh.

I thought it was an ugly name before it became uberpopular- and now I find it ugly AND obnoxious. Especially horrid on a little girl. The name just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I don't think they will call it "vintage" anymore than they will Kelly, Stacey, Ashley or Courtney. All surnames like Madison.

It's such a shame that this name is becoming so popular, but I imagine that 50 years down the road, people will be using it again because it's 'vintage' to them. Personally, I like the name - I think it's far more attractive than 'Emma' or 'Bella' or any of the other over-used names out there today. And I think it will age well on a person. Maddie is nice for a little girl, and Madison sounds intelligent - it's both modern and classic, depending on how you look at it.

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Well put regarding the insanity over this name and subsequent internet bashing. Please remember that young people do use this site, and that your thoughtless negative comments about their given name can be hurtful. Put yourself in their shoes before you hit the 'add comment' button.

I'm reminded of a story about a princess who wanted to do all sorts of un-princessy things, like sword-fight and cook. She was told, "Princesses don't do those things!" She replied, "I'm a princess, and I'm doing it, so princesses DO do these things."

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Similar thing here. No matter how people feel about the meaning of this name, it is TOO used by girls, and so it IS a girl's name. If you insist so much that it's strictly a boy's name, use it on your own son. I dare you. (To all ye male Madisons out there, kudos to you.)

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Madison isn't my cup of tea (none of the unisex names are), but just because I wouldn't use it doesn't mean it's right for me to bash on it. Right now, Madison would sound fresher and more unique to me than Isabella.

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Kudos to all ye young female Madisons (Madisyns, etc) out there. Don't worry about us old foagies. Be proud of who you are. You are children of God, and you have great worth just as you are.

Young person here. ;) Your argument stinks. If Rogerson was the name used in the film and later became insanely popular like Madison would you be saying it was a "girls name" then? Probably not, it's not half as "cute!". Madison is a surname, by default it's masculine. Use on girls is MODERN - VERY, VERY MODERN. Labeling it unisex is qualifying enough although I don't consider it such yet. It needs more time. Calling it outright feminine is both dimwitted and illogical. Trevor is used on girls now and then - that doesn't make it FEMALE. Honestly, it's like talking to a reinforced brick wall.

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Out of all the surnames I find Madison one of the least offensive but I still say it sucks.

Doesn't have much going for it.

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- A joke name in a shallow 80's film
- Conforms to the faux pretentious surname fad
- The common Maddie sounds like small tantrum or mad moment
- "son of" names are illogical as girls first names

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Actually, Madison, rather than Maddie, would make a fitting word for someone having an all out hissy fit. "Leave her alone, she's having a Madison".

I think it only makes sense to use this name, and other "son" surnames if it was the mother's maiden name, or some special family name - just at least for a REASON, rather than picked for the way it sounds, because, if it's not for a reason, it just shows the parents chose it because they thought it was cute. (Which I kindaaaa find annoying. Sorry.)

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I mean, it's not like they chose it for it's meaning, either. Son of Maud. Isn't like, the coolest thing. I think more guys should take up this name, we need more parents to reclaim the GUY names back.

This is a cute name for a girl because her nickname could be 'Maddie'.

It's the next Barbara and Myrtle. What's worse is that it's glaringly male. You don't have to have any name knowledge to realize that.

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Sorry about your name DontDissMadison :-)

I'm proud of my name, and no-one can change the way I feel. I'm 14, I was born when there were hardly any Madisons about (well, there might have been in America but there certainly weren't many - or any at all - in the West Midlands or the part of Wales where I now live). My parents named me after Madison Square Gardens.

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This name just, seriously, doesn't sound masculine at all. And I've only met one other Madison, and she - note the "she" part - spells her name with two Ds.

Regarding how people named Madison would react to these comments:

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Something that I find a lot of people don't get on naming boards is the fact that the opinions shared are only the personal opinions of the poster; how they feel about the name. These opinions are not meant to be taken as insults by the people that bear the name or like it. Everyone's taste is different. Just because somebody doesn't like your name doesn't mean that they hate you, just as you may not like Katherine, Sarah or Emily. It's perfectly fine not to like them, but you wouldn't run screaming at a girl whilst brandishing a pitchfork just because you don't like her name. Don't take the opinions of strangers on the internet as personal attacks just because they disagree with you.

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I personally dislike this name intensely. As others have said, the words 'mad' and 'son' are right there (and yes, I know that the 'mad' syllable isn't related to the actual word mad. It still sounds exactly the same). There's heaps of girls about 12 and under named this; it's just so overused.

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And most of the girls that I have met who are named Madison were perfectly sweet and lovely. But that doesn't mean I have to like their name.

Hostility is warranted. It's not your everyday "unisex" name.

I don't like this name. It is currently being used on girls and from its meaning it's clearly a boys name.

Too many Madisons. Don't like. Generic suburbanite sounding name that also sounds low class. Sorry.

Unisex names are nothing new, and Madison is one of them. I understand the disappointment in Madison 'going to the girls' (I personally love Kelly and Ashley on males) but there's a world of names out there to choose from. Honestly, the hostility toward Madison is a bit much, especially when young Madisons are visiting this site. I don't mind this name for either gender.

I don't care for it on a boy as 'son' surnames are stupidly redundant. Yip, we know he's a son of somebody although I doubt it's Maude.

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I certainly don't condone its use on girls. Since when is having both 'mad' and 'son' in a name, cute? I don't find joke names funny and this qualifies as one. SPLASH sucked!

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I'm truly shocked at how many parents still think Madison fresh and interesting - haven't their ears been assaulted like mine? It's seems every second little infant these days is a Madison, Addison, McKenzie or McKenna. Rot. Utter rot.

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It's going to date horribly.

Way too overly trendy right now and not very pretty for a little girl at all. It don't mind it as a male middle name, but this should never have become a female name.

This name is not only sickeningly popular, but very masculine indeed. Why would anybody ever name their daughter, "Son of Maude"? Would you name your daughter Jameson, meaning "Son of James"? Or perhaps Johnson, "Son of John"? Addison aka, "Son of Adam"? That's plain stupid. Gender-bending of names is really awful, in my opinion.

GRRR! I hate Madison! It sounds like "Mad at son" and every other little girl has this "name". It's so unoriginal. Please, pick a different name for your daughter!

Any kid named Madison now runs a huge risk of being one of three or four Madisons in her class. I'm sure anyone considering naming their daughter Madison can find a different name they like just as well that isn't hyper-trendy.

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Surnames for first names just aren't that great overall, unless you have an actual family connection to the name.

I can't understand why so many people like this name, but it is much better than MacKenzie, I'll give you that. In defense of the people who like this name on a girl, it does resemble the name Alison, which was previously used on males, but can hardly be imagined on them anymore. But I don't get what is supposed to be so cute about it. It's not cute on a little girl, and it sounds weird on a grown woman, as long as it's too fresh on females to be the next Alison. Kind of like MacKenzie, this name makes me imagine a little girl in ugly clothes in the 80s, even if not as much as MacKenzie. Of course, an overused name like this won't sound spunky on tomboys or indie girls either.

Madison is a guilty pleasure of mine, however I will not use it because of its popularity.

I don't like surnames used as first names for either sex and also I don´t like the boys´names on a girls.

I don't think that Madison is as bad as most people on here seem to think. I do think that the "son of" meaning isn't too fitting for a girl, but not all people fit the meaning of their names. I think this name is just okay, not my favorite.

Madison is one of those names that has taught me to appreciate classics. Once upon a time I loved this name, along with MacKenzie. Now the names are so overdone that I just cringe when I hear them. But I loved them at one time.

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I used to think classics like Mary and Elizabeth were boring, but now I appreciate them. And it was hard earned appreciation coming from years of maturity on my part.

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I still feel the need to pick a unique name, but I know I could easily be picking the next Madison in my quest to be unique, and I could tire of the name when my child's 10. It makes me reconsider names I once thougth were boring, and try to avoid theme-y trends - like the botanical theme for girls.

I remember when I thought this name was fresh and cute for a girl: it was 1986 and my mother's friend had just named her baby daughter Mary Madison. 22 years later, this name has been played out. Please retire it!

Yes, the son bit just hollers "feminine" to me. Oh my lord, the madness.

I don't know why, but I think this name is a wee bit too feminine sounding for a boy.

Personally I do not like the name Madison (my appolgies to anyone who bears that name, no offence intended) but I do not agree that it has become terribly common.

Regardless of how you feel about the name, everyone should stop being so ignorant about the way they express themselves. It's insulting to have your name be interpreted as "trashy" or "butch." How would you feel if I insinuated that all of the Katherine's in the world were skanks, just because I've met one who sleeps around a lot?

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As for people who give their daughter (presumably - let's be honest, it's a trend for girls) this name because they watched 'Splash,' that doesn't give them any less creativity or intelligence than someone who names their girl after a famous person, literary figure, or family member. It absolutely does not matter where you got the name. Everyone is copying someone else.

Well said! If you're going to say that Madison is a bad name for girls because it has "son" in it, why not go the whole hog and say that it's a bad name for boys because their mothers probably aren't called Maude?

What does it matter if a boy named Madison doesn't have a mom named Maude? Most of the girls with this name probably don't have a mother named Maude. Maddox is now quite popular, but I have yet to met a single Madoc. (Maddox means "son of Madoc") I could also say the same for Mackenzie, Mckenna, Addison, Harrison, Mason, Carson, Jackson, and I could go on and on. What does it matter? At least on a boy, the "son" part is ALWAYS accurate.

I think Madison is a good name for girls. Plus, if you worry because your son is named Madison and is gonna get teased for having a girl's name, I think you should worry even more because of the hidden sexism that lies beyond this. Boy. Ashamed to be named Madison? I can't tell you how much I'm not sorry. Both boys and girls should be proud for bearing this name.

Okay, so you all accept that Ashley, Courtney and Lesley can be used as boys and girls names (although, being from Wales, I've never met boys called Courtney or Lesley, and they always seemed to be feminine names to me), so why can't you accept that names like Madison and Mackenzie and Addison can be used for boys and girls too? It's happening, so you may as well accept it because there's nothing you can do! Madison is now a predominantly female name, even if it was mostly male in the past. The name is now feminine in popularity, if not in meaning.

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And regardless of how things stand in America, over here Madison is a much more unique and rare name in Wales. More unique than Amy, Sarah and Kate, and all of that overused rubbish.

Meh. I think it sucks on boy or girl. It's a rad surname, though.

A horrible name for a little girl, once again chosen by parents wanting to be "different".

My goodness. Having the name Madison does not make a girl any less feminine! In fact, I think it is quite cute on a girl. Not so much on a boy.

I don't like this, and I'd only use it for a middle name on either sex if my maiden surname was Madison. But there is another common girl's name with the 'son' ending: Alison, which is maybe why this name has a feminine sound to some people. It's like a hybrid of Madeleine and Alison, if you totally ignore the fact that it already exists as a surname.

I find it too frumpy for a boy so on a girl, big, nasty and tasteless.

I don't think I would bat an eyelid at a male Madison. It's a nice surname and like McKenzie and Riley, very trendy boys' names in my area. I don't get the appreciation for girls at all. When a name has "son" in it, I find it a bit silly and rather puzzling choice for a female. Alison is a big exception to this. It has nothing to do with "son of". It's a pet form of Alice. I find it funny when people pull the Alison card.

All the controversy with the 'sons' and 'mans' is ridiculous. Madison is a WOMAN's name. A guy named Madison? That's tacky. And what about Alison? I love that name, and I don't care if there a 'son' at the end. It doesn't mean anything.

This name is not female. It is male originally, but people are using it out of context. Also, Allison is used on boys, but very rarely.

I know a boy named Madison, and he NEVER gets laughed at, and he has friends. He's just misunderstood, but his name is not faulty for that.

I believe this surname will be remembered more for being a joke name in a 80's film. That and being associated with ditzy and trashy types.

I think this is a cute name. Wouldn't name my child this, but I like it fine for other little girls. I don't think it would be a good name for a boy these days seeing as how it has become popular for the girls.

This surname is roaring up the charts in England. I really thought we could do better. Trash, pure and simple.

I've accepted Morgan, Meredith, Ashley, Kelsey, Kelly, and Joyce. In fact, Joyce, Meredith, and Kelsey are my favorite unisex names, and I once (or still do) want to use them.

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But the name has "son" in it. Problematic, plus it has been popular for too much, too long. Just because Tom Hanks's character was too lazy to give the mermaid a proper name.

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Guys, hear me out, I've known nice Madisons. Even one nice boy Madison. But, some names are meant for boys, and some were for girls. Boys with names like Mary or Elizabeth would be shunned. But now, girls can have names like these and mommies who wanted this name or others like it for a boy are going to have to seriously consider now if they want their son to be under persecution for the majority of childhood. Not fair. So not fair.

Totally ridiculous name. As the definition says, people started giving their children this name after seeing a cheesy Hollywood movie from the 80s! You parents should be ashamed of yourselves. When I hear of a girl named Madison, I get the first impression that her parents are idiots, and that she is materialistic, shallow, unintelligent and promiscuous. A good stripper name.

This name has been such a pet peeve of mine for so long that I couldn't resist adding my opinion in spite of the fact that it's similar to many others posted above. This name is hideous for a girl and I can't for the life of me figure out why it has become so popular. There is absolutely nothing feminine or pleasing sounding about it at all. The fact that it is so trendy just makes it worse. You can't even claim originality. Please, all prospective parents, do your daughters a favor and avoid giving them this ugly, trendy name that will drop out of fashion as quickly as it came in!

I don't know why everyone thinks this name is common and overused. I am at high school and I don't know anybody called Madison and have never met anybody called Madison in my life. I love the name Madison and would definitely name my daughter this (if I had one). And I think the nickname Maddi is really cute. I don't like Madison for a boy though. (sorry if your a boy called Madison)

Above poster. If you live in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand, Madison IS overused and is commonplace. You can't swing a cat without hitting one.

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I hope your name taste matures and you can find a strong feminine name to give a daughter rather than this tired macho crap.

I can't stand this name! The 'masculine surname used on girls' trend is very, very tired.

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To those of you who say that a "girl will have a 'strong' name if it's masculine". You're ridiculous! Strong female names are the timeless classics like Elizabeth, Anna, Catherine, Victoria, Alice, Rachel, Mary, etc.

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Madison will sound extremely dated in ten years.

I never really liked the word MAD at the beginning of this name. And, to be honest, I find it rather plain.

I think this name is good for a boy OR a girl. I think it goes both ways. And if your daughter hypothetically HATES it so MUCH, call her Maddie. Problem solved.

A pox on this frumpy and tired old surname. I get rectal pucker just hearing it.

I am a twelve year old girl in the sixth grade. My name happens to be Madison. I think my name is pretty unique and very feminine. Don't get me wrong, I think it works great for a male's name too. I live in a very populated, small town in Mississippi. At my school, we have sixth through eighth grade. Out of all those kids, more than 2,000, I am the only Madison. There's a Maddie in seventh grade, but no Madison except for myself. I have never met a male named Madison, and I've only met one or two other Madison's. And just because the name's meaning says SON of Maud, does NOT mean that the name is only for boys. Look at me. I'm a perfectly regular GIRL, and I don't plan on having a sex change any time soon, or really ever. Also, I'd like to throw a famous saying out at those who picture a Madison as a weird person or maybe not even a person at all: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover. I read through most of the comments and found some pretty ugly ones concerning what they picture a Madison looking like. WHY do people insist on pinning rude comments on Madison's all over when they aren't true? I'm sure if you spend a day with a Madison, you'll think diffently. I mean, COME ON. Just because my name is Madison does NOT mean that when I grow up I'm going to be a stripper or any of those other vulgar names. I want to be a dancer, thank you very much. Oh yes, I DO have 'son' at the end of my first name. But guess what? I'm not a boy. Think of AliSON, SaMANtha, and even FeMALE. Get the picture? I happen to think Madison is a perfect name for either gender and it does not degrade that person or pin any traits on them for having that name. I know a person said that any parents who would name their little girl Madison must be illiterate. Well, maybe you should take a look at mine. My father is an engineer for computer on ships and submarines, and my mother is a school teacher. Yes, it is trendy right now, but look what gender it's trendy FOR: girls. Females. It's been second and third for the past, like, seven years. For GIRLS. So to all those people who think Madison doesn't belong on a woman, look at the statistics. There's Madison, Wisconson, Dolley and James Madison, and yes, Madison Ave. in New York. I've never seen the movie Splash, but I wouldn't call the mermaid being called Madison a bad joke. I'd say it was a good thing and not funny at all. All in all, I have to say, Madison is a lovely name for both genders, and should not imply any un-needed or vulgar comments about people who have this name. Like me, Madison, the little twelve year old girl from Mississippi.

Can I just say *whoa, posted a lot on here but I'm MAD-ison*. No pun intended *okay, there was*.

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What if I said your parents were doorknobs or missing five thousand brain cells because they named you Kate or Margaret or Elizabeth or any of those boring feminine names?

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I like having a "boy" name, even though it's more popular with girls than boys *duh*. Mackenzie is nice too, better than many boring names that seem to be coming back into fashion. There are twenty Amys at my school, fourteen Sarahs and twenty two Kates. I'm the only Madison.

Very cute name but I don't like surnames on girls (WAY too trendy, if they weren't they'd be okay), and it has little masculinity remaining.

Madison is one of the most terrible names I've ever heard. It sounds more like a last name or whatever (exept the first or middle name). All the Mc- and -son names are just pretty useless and bland for me. But well, perhaps I just have to remember that the name is always question of flavour, nothing more.

I love this name for a boy and I really don't like it for a girl because all the girls I've met named Madison were obnoxious. I also hate it when people claim that Madison is unique as a girls name because out of the two softball teams I've played on there were a total of 24 girls and six of them were named Madison, also 5 of them were named Ashley. I find that more than slightly ridiculous. To complicate things we also had a Madelyn.

I don't like this name. It's going to turn into a cult name and will never be a true classic. Mark my words.

I really don't like this name. This is so trendy at my high school! I really get sick of hearing it. I only like the spelling Madison, I don't like any of the trendier spellings.

I really don't care if it says SON in it. I just think this name is starting to get too trendy for me! I know a girl with this name, though, and she is very nice. So I like this name a little.

Will you all get over the fact that Madison has "son" at the end? To me, it sounds feminine. I don't know of ANY males in England with the name Madison. I only know of one girl too!

I'm sorry but I don't really think you're being fair. I only know of one famous bearer of the name, and two others (me and my best friend's cousin). I wasn't named after the character in the movie, and Madison sounds far more feminine than masculine. Can I just remind you that the SSA have made it third most popular for girls? Sure, it is annoying that it's so popular, but it is a girl's name!

I'm sorry but I simply can't stand this name! It sounds coarse and unflattering to either gender.

Madison is the ugliest name to come across. Whoever is naming their daughter Madison has an empty head.

Icky icky icky, yuck yuck yuck. SON of Maude. Hmmm, this to me sounds like a boys name. It's just icky, and it came from a street sign. It's ok on guys because it means son of. Unless your daughter is a son, I seriously think you should re-think it. Madeleine is so much prettier, feminine and not as harsh sounding!

This has always struck me as a very American name.

Madison sounds very unmale to me. It is a wonderful name for any girl and I used to wish it was my name. My little girl is named Kyilee Madison. (Madison is her middle name) and I love it. I dislike it on males, I think it sounds womanaly.

I think it is a cute name, I don't think most people really rely on the meaning, but on the actual name and how it sounds to them. In my opinion, it is a cute name but to others, I don't know.

I hate Madison for a girl too. Way too tacky and trendy. People considering naming a daughter this, go ahead but only if you truly don't care that most people will be gagging behind their hand, even if they are too polite to say anything. I think this name has incited more negative comments on this board than any other, even the retch-a-licious McKenzie.

This is a man's name, I am a Madison and I am 41 years old. I am named after my Grandfather who was a Madison and named his son, my uncle Madison. They are named after his Grandfather. This uncommon name became a common girls name when in the movie Splash the mermaid was named Madison. But if you remember she got the name because she happened to me near the sign for Madison Avenue. It was a joke! And some people were stupid enough to name their kids after this dumb joke in a movie. By the way, my son's name is Madison Jr. I told him if anyone ever tells him it's a girls name to point out our families long history with the name and tell them they have a boys name.

Just because YOU'RE a man named Madison doesn't make it any more manly than if MY son's name was Madison (it's not). But just because there are some guys named Madison now days, doesn't make it any more manly than if there were girls named Tyler or Hayden. It seems like all names used to men's names at one point and time. I know this isn't true, but look at Ashley, I mean, what part of that is manly?

Madison sounds feminine to me. I don't know why. It just does.

First of all, it's the capital of Wisconsin. Second of all, I think it's a stupid name. All boy.

I can't believe that I've actually started to like this name - maybe because I have heard it so many times but haven't met any Madisons yet!

Judging by some of the ridiculous comments on here, some people seem to think that the only way a girl can be strong, is if she's given a MASCULINE NAME. Right so lets look at the names of just some of the strongest women in history and in current times shall we: Queen ELIZABETH I & II, MARGARET Thatcher, ELIZABETH Cady Stanton, ROSA Parks, EMMELINE Pankhurst, FLORENCE Nightingale, MARY Edwards Walker, Queen VICTORIA, SANDRA Day O'Connor, KATHARINE Hepburn, ANNE, CHARLOTTE and EMILY Bronte, AMELIA Earhart. I could go on and on and on. These women did (or are still doing) great things, they didn't need to be called Madison (or Ashley, Taylor or McKenzie etc) to achieve what they have, and these are inspirational to many people. If anything, I see (proper feminine) names like the above as being a million times stronger then Madison & co on a girl, because women like those listed above give these names REAL strength.

Who ever said that they were calling their daughter Madison so that she will be strong? We are not living in the year 1930 or whatever. The names Margeret and Elizabeth are too old fashion and not everyone likes them, so it's time for change and if the people want to call their kids Sugarbum then let them.
Saying that Madison, McKenzie, Tyler/Taylor are boy's names is like saying red is a girl's colour and green is a boy's colour. I think when they grow up they would rather have a name like that than Margeret or another OLDTIMER! Look at aliSON, aMANda, MANdy, saMANtha. There are a lot more girls names that have MAN or SON in them but that doesn't mean they are boy's names! And I don't think the parents that called their children aliSON, aMANda, MANdy, saMANtha called them so because they wanted them to be strong! So get a grip would ya! And stand up to what you have to say instead of hiding.

The name Amanda is from a Latin word that had nothing to do with being a man, unlike Madison, which actually means the son of someone. If ever I used this name, I would use it on a boy, but that's not going to happen because I hate the sound of it. I don't think it's pretty at all.

Madison is a horrible name for a girl. I think mothers should consider a more feminine name. (There are plenty of girl names out there that sound/mean strong AND were originally a girl name.)

I think Madison is a very cute name for a girl, though I prefer it spelt Maddison. As for it beging too popular I've only known one Madison until about a year ago (I now know two), while I know about a thousand Megans (spelt every way possible).

Naming a girl Madison is atrocious. It is so blatantly masculine and it makes the parents seem ignorant illiterates. Truly awful.

I love the name Madison! I never would of thought of it as a boys name though! And as for having SON at the end. FeMale has got MALE at the end so what do you think of that? (for everyone that's against it being a F name) I don't think it would look good on anyone over 30 though, I just can't imagine my granny being called Madison, not even my mum! But for a wee girl it's really cute.

Whoever thinks that in order to make a girl strong you have to give her a male name is (and I'm trying very hard not to curse right now) an old-fashioned, ignorant fool. The strongest being on the face of the planet has to be my cousin and she's not named Alex or Madison. Naming your child Madison will just add to the sea of Maddy M.'s and Maddy H.'s and Maddy T.'s.

Madison is a very elegant name! I don't get why people hate it so much! I only know 1 Maddie! There's only 1 Maddie in my whole grade, out of like 500 kids!

I've never met a Madison in my life - girl or boy - but I've always found it to be a very cute name! Whenever I think of someone named Madison I picture a pale little girl with long dark curly hair. Even if it does have son at the end, it still is feminine sounding and has nicknames. What about all the boys named Ashley and Leslie? Names can go either way, depending on tastes, so don't think about what others think. If you love it, you love it.

I think it's far from pretty, and it makes me think of a stuck-up mall rat.

I adore Madison on a boy! My future son's middle name will be Madison.

It's a beautiful name, but there are so many Madisons now. In a few years time, every second kid in elementary school will be named Madison. I would wait until it's at least a bit less trendy to name my child this.

I think anyone contemplating this for a girl is an utter doorknob. Call me old fashioned but what is the appeal in a "son of" name for a girl. Disgusting and hilarious how it never goes the other way.

I absolutely love the name Madison for a girl! I've never met one but after hearing how popular it has become I will never use it. I'm a Jennifer so I know how popular names can be. My only problem with the name is its number of spellings. "Madicen" looks like medicine and Madisyn also just looks like someone liked the sound and couldn't spell it. I suppose Maddison is ok for a variation but I don't care for it. I also love the nickname Maddie.

This is my FAVOURITE name. Meaning doesn't matter to me. I think it's really pretty, and I much prefer it to Madilyn/Madeline/Madeleine. If I ever have a daughter, I plan to name her Madison Lily. I think it's adorable. I understand that this name is popular right now, but I've never met one.

Hey, I know a reason that parents name their daughters Madison. Have you ever thought that MAYBE parents don't CARE what the damn meaning is, as long as it sounds good? Yeah, the usage of this name doesn't concern you unless you were deciding what you would name your child. This is now a feminine name, SUCK IT UP! You were able to live through when the names Hilary, Ashley, Lindsay, Taylor and Harley were used for girls, why should you not live through this? I happen to know of 3 Madisons, and they're all girls. Whoop-tee-doo!

I am amazed over the hostility over this name. True, it is very common now, I can't believe how many little girls I know named Madison. The fact remains, names will come and names will go. There will always be trendy names and fad names that will eventually die out and a new trendy or fad name will take its place.

I am so tired of this name! Trendy is never a good route! It is a boy name and I love it for a boy but these poor girls are going to be forever reminded of how much thought was not put into their name when half their class are "Maddie". Which I also don't agree with - you should name your child the name you want her to be called, nicknames are things school children dish out NOT parents. Besides if you're going to shorten it anyway what's wrong with Madeline?

Madidaughter is so much better for a girl and it means "My name may be made up but at least it doesn't have son in it".

I hate this name with the fire of a thousand hells. I cannot ever understand why people would give their DAUGHTERS a MASCULINE name. It has SON in it, for goodness' sake! It does not get any more obvious than that. I am also sick of hearing every little girl get called by the nickname 'Maddie'. A disgustingly popular name.

It is a joke. See "Splash".

Stupid name, but chances are most of the chicks with this name will grow up to be hot little rich tarts.

I don't understand the popularity of this name. It is so unappealing to me. Everytime I hear of another Madison I cringe. There are so many other BETTER names out there.

When I hear the nickname "Maddy" it sounds like an adjective to me that sounds like the person with the name is angry. I'm okay with some boy's names crossing over to the female side (Lindsey, Ashley, Shannon) but when the name clearly says SON, no way. It's like naming a boy Maddidaughter.

Ugly and awful on a girl. To all of you who think this is a 'strong and unique' name for a girl you might also want to consider naming yout future sons Isabel or Amelia or anything else that is obviously feminine. It's the exact same gender-switching premise.

There is not justification for the use of "Madison" on a girl. No one can argue that it is feminine in the least, as it's meaning is clear: "Son of Maud". The argument that it can also mean "Daughter of Maud" is completely bogus, as the "-son" is quite evident. If this meant "Daughter of Maud", it would have to be "Madidaughter", right?

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Names that were previously mainly male in usage (such as Mackenzie, Ashley, Darcy, Finlay, and, yes, Madison) have suddenly taken over the charts for girls. While Emerson, Ryan, and Evan are slowly climbing.

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There are "strong" names for girls, and then there are "male" names. Don't confuse the two. Please, parents, know which is which! Naming your daugter a boys name will not make her strong, and it will definitely not make her unique.

I'm amazed at the hostility of Madison's feminine use here! And it seems to all be coming from the meaning - Son of Maude. Fair enough, but to all you male Madisons out there who see it as "stupid" and "tacky" to name a girl this - is your mother named Maude?

I don't like this name for a girl, especially when it contains the word son.

I like the name Madison a lot, and I think it sounds cool, smart, and sporty. I think the newly made variants like Madisen, and Madisyn, and Madyson, and everything like that are weird and dumb to name a kid.

I would never give this name to a girl as for me it sounds very masculine.

This name is so overused and tacky sounding. Practically every little I see/meet has either this name or Emma. One other thing - why on earth would you want your little girl to have a name with the suffix 'son' in it?

Madison is a MAD SON. Ugly ugly ugly. I know 3 Madisons under 2.

I went to a strip club and one of the dancers took on the name "Madison" - how incredibly fitting it was to hear it on her. I'm not against strip clubs, definitely, but it is needless to say that they are connotated as 'trashy' just as the name Madison is.

I once knew the absolute BRATTIEST girl with this name (named before the craze began, by the way). That kind of ruined it for me. Well, that and that it begins with "mad". On another note, this is a traditional name in my family, for boys.

My problem is that a masculine name has been hijacked! It means "son of Maud," and it's not thinking in a girl's best interest! You may as well call her son!

I don't know what you people's problem is, Madison is an awesome name for a girl. =D

Madison is a great name for a girl - even if there are a few too many of them. So there.

I think it's a good name to name a girl with - it's strong. What's wrong with giving a girl a strong name? Especially in today's society girls and women have to fend for themselves from extreamly prejudgiced thoughts and values from yesteryear that have not fully died out yet.

I really dislike this name especially on girls. Both the sound & meaning are so masculine. If I meet another "Maddie" I am going to scream.

I'm pretty sick of seeing this name on almost every girl under the age of 10.

Madison is, to me, incredibly popular, trendy and will date and age with a bearer horribly, automatically pinning them to the 2000's era, much like we associate Jessica with the 1980's. SON stands out so blatantly in this name, that I fail to find its appeal as a girls name. "Strong" girls name do not need masculine elements. Girls names can be strong on their own because of the very reason they are girls names.

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Furthermore, I dismiss most "daughter of" meanings. The name says SON right in it, and any "daughter of" meanings for this name were simply probably invented to justify its use on a girl. And even in the movie Splash, where the craze for this name probably first originated it, it was taken from a *street sign*.

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Even for a male, I hesitate with this name, and would only use it in the Middle name slot, if a family connection exists with the name.

For a girl? - you may as well call her Butch McUndercarriage. This name is not feminine.

I don't think Madison is all that bad for a girl. I like the nickname Maddie. I would pick Madelyn before I chose Madison though.

I can safely say I am sick of this name.

Who cares about the meaning? I do! This is another masculine last name used as a first name usually for girls (see my comments on Mackenzie). It's all very sad. Poor children have meaningless or ill-meaning names and an empty culture.

I really like this name for a girl and it's great to be shortened to Madi! Reading some of the comments written about the male use of it are mean and insulting to those who have used it for their daughters. It shouldn't put people off using this name for a girl. It isn't common. I know of no-one with this name and will still name my daughter this.

Wow, there are some mixed comments on this name! Well, I think it is pretty. And I have no clue why people think this name is *common*, because there are NO Madisons at my school, and there have only been 2 Madisons in my LIFE. But I think this name shouldn't be shortened to Maddi. I think it's pretty enough already, and doesn't need to be shortened into pet names.

I have never enjoyed this name on females and I am actually hurt that it has become a wild fad. I feel for all the little girls who will go through school being known as Madison B., Madison H., Madison T., etc.

I'm a 20 year old college student named Madison. Believe it or not I am a male and am very amused by how many mothers have named their daughters Madison when it clearly is a male name with the suffix "son". How stupid.

I'm not saying Madison isn't a nice name, but be aware that if you're naming your daughter Madison, she will share her name with half her class when she attends school. This name is being used excessively, it is no longer unique.

I am naming my little girl Madisyn and think it is a wonderful name. She will be called "Madi" for short. I don't put much weight in a name but if people will look at other resources they will find that the name also means "good" and daughter of "Maude". I would just like to know who Maude is! For the person who gave such an ugly opinion at the bottom of this page, there was no reason to be so hostile and rude. I hope this doesn't discourage anyone else from using such an elegant name for a boy or a girl.

Ewwww! How ugly! Madison? Mad=Angry, Son=Boy therefore it is Angry Boy. Wow, great name for a girl. Whoever uses this name is a pathetic illiterate moron. Unless you want your daughter to get a sex change.

You're the 'illiterate moron', because the son part may be problematic, but the name Madison has nothing to do with the word 'mad' at all.

Madison is ultra-trendy and popular. Mamas to be...beware! :)

I am a 39 year old male-name Madison, my son is now a junior. I was named after my grandfather, who also named my uncle that. His father was named Madison, and his before, so on, so on. I can trace this as a male name in my family for over 175 years. Seems to me this started being used as a female name after the movie Splash, where the main character named her after the street he was standing on not caring enough to give the mermaid a proper name. Think about it, check the popularity dates.

To the Madison near the top of the thread, the mermaid named herself Madison. Tom Hanks tried to talk her out of it.

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Personally, I find the name overused. It works great for a surname, and I can see using it for a male IF there is a family meaning behind it. Otherwise, just seems to me you named your daughter after a mermaid movie.

I know a little girl called Madison and I think it is a beautiful name. Who cares about the meaning? I actually don't.

I'd call my little girl this. If no one knew the meaning, we'd be alright, right? It also reminds me of the deceased character in What Lies Beneath. Probably not a brilliant name from behind, but I think it's really pretty.

I think Madison is a WONDERFUL name for a little girl!

I think Maud is a far better name.

Why would a parent give a little girl a name with a specifically masculine meaning like "SON of Maud"?