An English surname, Madison refers to the son of Matthew. The spelling variations for Madison include Maddison and Maddeson. The early English settlements for Madison families was in the north at Durham. Years later they resettled in Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Northumberland and Shropshire counties. With in the United States the Madison surname is across the eastern half of the country. The greater numbers are in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri and Texas. Famous: James Madison (the 4th U. S. President), Guy Madison (movie film and television actor), James Jonas Madison (received the Medal of Honor during World War I), Holly Madison (model), Martha Madison (movie actress), Lucy F. Madison (novelist) and Sam Madison (professional football player).