Why name "Madison" so popular for girls?

[Kim & Rima McKinzey]

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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       FRITZ JUENGLING <juengling_fritz at SALKEIZ.K12.OR.US>
>Subject:      Re: Why name "Madison" so popular for girls?
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>When I was a kid, Megan was around, altho it was not common--this
>was in the late sixties and early seventies.  However, there were
>two pronunciations (I'm not sure Beverly's two pronunciations are
>the ones I remember): the one with [e] and one with [i:], i.e.
>[mi:g at n]  (meegun), which I never hear anymore.  I remember having
>to ask girls which pronunciation they went by.

In Australia it's mostly pronounced meegun, I think.  In the US
mostly maygun - or such has been my experience.

>The name that has intrigued me the most is 'Joshua.'  When I was a
>kid, NO ONE, abolutely no one, had that name. ...

I think Biblical names ebb and flow but never really disappear -
though granted it would be hard to find an Ebeneezer nowadays.  I was
quite surprized when my cousin named her younger son Boaz.

Rima