Maddox

About Maddox

Maddox is a modern English first name taken from a Welsh surname meaning “son of Madoc.” Its surname history leads back to a much older Welsh personal name, while its recent American rise followed increased public attention in the early 2000s.

The older name Madoc

Madoc comes from Old Welsh Matauc, built around mad, meaning “good” or “fortunate,” with a familiar-form ending. Maddox developed from this personal name through a Welsh surname.

The direct meaning of Maddox is therefore “son of Madoc.” Madoc supplies the older connection with goodness or good fortune. Madog is another form of the parent name.

The name family has a substantial Welsh history. A warrior called Madoc appears in the early poem Y Gododdin, and medieval rulers also bore the name. These older appearances belong to Madoc rather than to the modern first-name spelling Maddox.

The Madog legend

Another Madog became the subject of later folklore about a Welsh voyage to America. That story belongs to legend, rather than established evidence of a medieval Atlantic crossing.

Its influence, however, is a documented part of Welsh cultural history. In 1791, Presbyterian minister John Williams published an investigation into the tradition. The story also appeared in campaigns encouraging Welsh Nonconformists to settle in America.

This gives the parent name a life in poetry, medieval history, and later migration stories. Maddox’s immediate form is a surname, but the personal name behind it has accumulated several distinct kinds of narrative.

Modern visibility

Maddox came to wider public attention when Angelina Jolie gave the name to her adopted son in 2002. That highly visible use helped introduce many people to a spelling that had previously been uncommon as an American first name.

Its strong rise belongs to this modern period. The Welsh surname itself is older, so the increase in baby-name registrations marks a change in use rather than the invention of the name.

Pronunciation and form

Maddox is pronounced MAD-uks, with stress on the first syllable and the first vowel of “cat.” Its final “x” supplies a “ks” sound.

The two syllables give it a compact rhythm, while the double “d” and final “x” make its written outline distinctive. “Mads” is a possible everyday shortening, drawn from the opening, though the full Maddox is already brief.

Popularity in the United States

Only 15 American boys received Maddox in 2000. By 2010, the count had risen to 2,108 and the rank to No. 179.

Its highest count and best rank came in 2017, with 3,044 boys and No. 136. In 2025, it ranked No. 210 with 1,664 boys. Girls also receive the name in much smaller numbers: 66 in 2025. Its main American pattern remains masculine, with use below the late-2010s peak.

How popular is Maddox?

In 2025, Maddox ranked #210 among boys in the United States, with 1,664 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1995; its largest annual count was 3,044 in 2017. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.