M
Meaning & History
Madsen is a Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Mads". The name Mads is a Danish short form of Mathias, itself a variant of Matthias, which derives from the Greek Ματθίας (Matthias), a variant of Ματθαῖος (see Matthew). In the New Testament, Matthias was the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23–26). As a surname, Madsen reflects the Scandinavian tradition of adding -sen (or -son) to a father's name, originally indicating lineage to a certain Mads.
In Denmark and Norway, surnames ending in -sen are very common, with Madsen being widespread in both countries. According to data from the 2010 United States Census, Madsen is the 2083rd most common surname in the United States, borne by 17364 individuals, and is most prevalent among White (94.78%) populations. Variants of Madsen include related patronymic forms such as Mathiasen, found in Scandinavian contexts. Comparative forms in other cultures include Bulgarian Mateev and Mateeva, Catalan Mateu, Croatian Matić and Matković, and Serbian Matijević, all sharing the common root in Matthew or Matthias.
In Denmark and Norway, surnames ending in -sen are very common, with Madsen being widespread in both countries. According to data from the 2010 United States Census, Madsen is the 2083rd most common surname in the United States, borne by 17364 individuals, and is most prevalent among White (94.78%) populations. Variants of Madsen include related patronymic forms such as Mathiasen, found in Scandinavian contexts. Comparative forms in other cultures include Bulgarian Mateev and Mateeva, Catalan Mateu, Croatian Matić and Matković, and Serbian Matijević, all sharing the common root in Matthew or Matthias.
Cultural Significance
Patronymic surnames like Madsen are particularly significant in Denmark and Norway, where the naming system historically used the father's name plus a suffix to create the child's surname. Until the 19th century, the suffix -sen was used for sons, and -datter (Danish) or -dotter (since 1900 simply -sen) for daughters; however, many surnames became fixed. The name Mads, the root, is one of many Danish forms of Matthew—which itself comes from the meaning "gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew. As a result, the surname Madsen carries deep religious and historical connections to the New Testament apostle. Notable bearers include American politician and Supreme Court Justice Timothy Madsen, director Alvin Madsen, and other figures in scholarly and artistic fields. Its usage in the US is tied largely to Scandinavian immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.- Meaning: Son of Mads
- Origin: Danish and Norwegian
- Type: Patronymic surname
- Root name: Mads, from Mathias/Matthias
- Usage regions: Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway), also found in English-speaking countries
Related Names
Roots
Variants
Other Languages & Cultures
(Bulgarian)
Mateev, Mateeva (Catalan)
Mateu (Croatian)
Matić (Serbian)
Matijević (Croatian)
Matković (Czech)
Macek (Polish)
Mach (Czech)
Macháň, Macháňová, Machová (Slovak)
Macková (Czech)
Mašek, Mašková, Matějka, Matějková (English)
Madison, Mathews, Mathewson, Matthews, Matthewson (French)
Mathieu (German)
Metz 2 (Norwegian)
Mathisen (Portuguese)
Mateus (Romanian)
Matei (Russian)
Matveev, Matveeva, Matveyev, Matveyeva (Scottish)
Matheson, Mathieson (Slovak)
Macko (Spanish)
Macías, Mateo, Mateos (Swedish)
Matsson, Mattsson
Sources: Wiktionary — Madsen