Madison originates in English language and means "Matthew's child". It was derived from an English surname, the famous bearer being James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, and as a surname it is used until today. It can also be used as both feminine and masculine given names, currently it is one of the most popular names given to girls. Very probably it was popularized in the 1984 film Splash, where Daryl Hannah plays a mermaid that decides to call herself Madison after seeing the sign of Madison Garden in New York.