MovieChat Forums > What Lies Beneath (2000) Discussion > There's no way her name was Madison! Mak...

There's no way her name was Madison! Makes no sense!

posted 16 years ago by ChastityPariah
36 replies | jump to latest

Madison wasnt a name that was introduced to name baby girls until 1984 when the movie Splash came out with Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah.

The character of Madison in this movie wouldve had to been born before 1984 otherwise, given that this is set in the (then) present day 2000, wouldve only
been 16 years old.

No parents were naming baby daughters Madison until 1984.

It makes no sense.

Sometimes I sing & dance around the house in my underwear. Doesnt make me Madonna,neva will.

[–] RavensDestiny 16 years ago

Madison was not a common name until after the movie "Splash". Once that movie came out it became a more popular name. That in no way means no one could have ever been named Madison before that. It just was not as common. Records indicate that at least 238,008 girls have been named Madison since 1880 in the United States. Notice the "since 1880" part.

[–] Kristen_eh 16 years ago

Exactly, that's like saying no one was named "Kristen" until she shot JR in the 80's. Well my name is Kristen and I was born in 66 lol.

[–] ChastityPariah 16 years ago

According to SSA:

Madison (often shortened to Maddie) has become a very popular female given name in the United States. According to the Social Security Administration's statistics, from a PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT girl's name before 1985, Madison rose to being the second most popular name given to female babies in 2002. This phenomenal rise in popularity has been attributed to the 1984 movie Splash, where Daryl Hannah played a mermaid who adopted the name 'Madison' after seeing a Madison Avenue street sign. When the selection is made, Tom Hanks' character says "but Madison isn't a name!"

Hey Kristen, thats a very popular name regardless. Try to find a female Madison born before 1984.

Sometimes I sing & dance around the house in my underwear. Doesnt make me Madonna,neva will.

[–] RavensDestiny 16 years ago

Hey Chastity, you left out an important part of that quote... this is how its suppose to read..

"Madison (often shortened to Maddie) has become a very popular female given name in the United States. According to the Social Security Administration's statistics, from a practically non-existent girl's name before 1985, Madison rose to being the second most popular name given to female babies in 2002....."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_(name)

Notice you left out "practically non-existent". Still means it was still a name, just not very common till after the movie. Hence still a name for females before 1984. Next time dont leave words out of a quote thats so easy to find.

[–] Kristen_eh 16 years ago

FYI Kristen is a popular name NOW - not so before the TV show Dallas. When I was growing up no one had ever heard of it.
Also the name Madison was used before 1984 there is Madison Jones, who is male but that shows it was used as a "name". You also left out a word when you Copy and pasted.
Madison Jones was born in 1925
Madison Stone was born in 1965 (female actress)
Madison S. Lacy 1898
anyways... point is the name was used just not as much as AFTER Splash. Just like my name and the TV show Dallas.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Adaveve 16 years ago

so your saying the name madison ruins the atmosphere of the film. wow. it's a name, and unlikely isn't impossible.

After I got to Sin City, all the color came back.

[–] Aerial87 16 years ago

I'm sorry but this comment is just stupid. Even if it is rare and less likely, it is still possible. A lot of people have rare names. My name is Aerial (note it's the Hebrew spelling) Not many women had my name b4 the little mermaid came out. I was born a year b4 that movie so my name was quite rare. Yet here I am and a year later it became a household name. Now I have personally met 1 Ariel and 1 Arielle both females. But the majority of people with my name that I've met were men and both had the same spelling: a-e-r-i-a-l.....mine. My name is unisex but was commonly used for men ie: Aerial Sheron. Not until after 1988 did it become a common girls name. So my point is that just cause it was uncommon doesn't mean that it is impossible and that this particular character couldn't be named that previous to splash.

P.S. This is a stupid point to put a dent in a movie. Sorry but it is

[–] dawnm5 16 years ago

Ummm, I was in elementary school in the 70's and knew lots of Kristens.

I had NEVER heard the name Madison (although I lived in Madison, WI) used before Splash and thought it was really weird that she picked that name.

[–] throwntosafety 13 years ago

Unlikely, but not so impossible that it could be considered an anachronism. Madison is definitely extremely popular, but so are a lot of these last names that are now first names (Addison, McKenzie, Cameron, Logan, etc). Some families have had traditions of bringing in family last names as first names for awhile - Madison could have been her mother's maiden name.

Good catch though.

[–] MaximRecoil (4045) 5 years ago

Also the name Madison was used before 1984 there is Madison Jones, who is male but that shows it was used as a "name". You also left out a word when you Copy and pasted.
Madison Jones was born in 1925
Madison Stone was born in 1965 (female actress)
Madison S. Lacy 1898

Those are men, and yes, that makes all the difference in the world. The only female you listed was a porn star who became active in 1989 (after the movie Splash, obviously), and it is highly unlikely that Madison was her birth name (porn stars don't usually use their birth name).

[–] highpilot 16 years ago

Idiot.

[–] Jaenne 16 years ago

I know I am throwing my opinion in late, but in the Eastern part of the US, there is a long tradition of using old family surnames for first names in children. I admit it is usually the male children, but Madison appeared to be an only child, and the name could have come from a maternal or paternal family name and used as a default for the only child, male or female. It is a reasonable assumption to make, especially in areas like Vermont where families go back many generations. I know many women with names like Reese, Colby "Collie", Winston "Winnie," etc. Their nicknames made the names feminine. Madison was called Maddy by her family. Blame it on tradition, not on the movie "Splash."

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] justbeth82 16 years ago

omg..it's a movie

[–] AnUnnamedGalaxy 16 years ago

Um, to say that "no one" was named Madison before a certain date is seriously stupid. .
It was an uncommon name (meaning, rare but still happens).

Its not impossible for the girl in the movie to be named that.

Also, for the person who mentioned something about Sandra or Kimberly in a 1880 setting. . as you said, even if you could find a few people with that name around that time, obviously means the name was common enough for people to be named that. .its in no way a mistake.

My great aunt was named Madison and she was born long before Splash came out.

Dollhouse - Mondays - Jan 2009
Tomb Raider Underworld - Nov 2008

[–] vitae-1 16 years ago

Just because it wasn't a popular name doesn't mean it didn't exist.

This was such a stupid statement.

[–] jaysgurl2000 16 years ago

My Great Great Grandmother was named Madison. They called her Maddie.

[–] CaptainStrange 15 years ago

Think of it this way:

I have a daughter named Saffron (no really, I do) and that's definitely not a common name. In 50 years, it could be on the top 50. In 50 years when the name is popular, would you be trying to say that NOBODY had that name before?