Show ContentsMadake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh surname Madake is derived from the early Welsh personal name Madoc. This was also written as Madawc and Madog, from the Old Welsh name Matoc, which had the literal meaning of goodly. 1

Early Origins of the Madake family

The surname Madake was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the singular name Madoch is recorded in Gloucestershire. 2

"Madoc an ancient Welsh personal name. One Madoch was a tenant in chief in Herefordshire at the making of Domesday. He was doubtless a Welshman by birth." 3

Dusting off more old references, we found Oenus filius Madoc in the Pipe Rolls for Salop (Shropshire) in 1160; Maddock le Waleys in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1283; and William Madoc in the Hundredorum Rolls for Shropshire in 1274. In Cheshire, Robert Mattok was listed there in the Assize Rolls for 1290 and Robert Madduk and Stephen Madek was found in Colchester in 1297. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Madoc de Sotton; Tudor ab Madoc; and Maddoc le Estrange. All were from Shropshire. 5

"Maddock and Maddocks, forms of the ancient Welsh personal name of Madoc, have characterised Wales and the English border shires for ages. Madoch was the name of a Herefordshire tenant in Domesday times, whilst Maddox is still an old Hereford name. In the reign of Edward. I. there were persons of the name of Madoc in Shropshire (H. R.), in which county the names of Maddock and Maddocks still occur. Maddock is now a frequent name in Chester and its neighbourhood, and John Maddock was mayor of Chester in 1676 (Ormerod). Maddocks was the name of a very ancient family of Llanfrynach, Brecknockshire (Jones' "Brecknockshire")." 6

Early History of the Madake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Madake research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1571, 1598, 1612, 1697, 1736 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Madake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Madake Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Madake has occasionally been spelled Maddox, Maddix, Maddick, Mattick, Matticks, Mattix, Maddock, Maddockes, Maddocks, Madocks, Madox, Madoch, Mattock and many more.

Early Notables of the Madake family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Madake Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Madake family to Ireland

Some of the Madake family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Madake family

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Madake: Henry Maddock settled in Delaware in 1682; John Maddock settled in Philadelphia in 1686; John Maddock settled in New Jersey in 1654; Henry Maddocks settled in Maine in 1630.



  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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