Madden
Meaning
from the Irish surname Ó Madaidhín, from madadh, "dog, hound"; famously borne by coach John Madden
The story
Madden is an Irish surname first, an Anglicized form of Ó Madaidhín, which Behind the Name derives from madadh, "dog, hound". The most famous bearer never needed a first name at all: John Madden, the coach and commentator whose surname became a football institution and a video game franchise. The records show the first-name experiment is recent: about 11 boys in the 1990s, about 1,500 in the 2000s, about 3,900 in the 2010s and about 2,200 so far this decade, with a girls' line that has climbed every decade since it appeared, about 370, then about 530, then about 640 and counting. The hound at the root is a fine inheritance, loyal and quick. But the stadium is the louder echo, and the name wears it easily.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Madden peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
When you meet Madden
Most people given the name Madden in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Madden deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Madden truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Madden fits with your family’s names and surname.
Does Madden fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Madden to your family’s tree →