Lee vs Madewell:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Madewell had more branded searches than Lee among jeans brands worldwide. Madewell had about 823,000 branded searches, while Lee had 110,000. Madewell made up 35.7% of all jeans brand searches we track, and Lee accounted for 4.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about jeans brands, Lee appeared in four of the five answers and Madewell in two. Lee was mentioned before Madewell in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Madewell, about 7 searches for every 1 for Lee
Who does AI mention more?
Lee, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Madewell in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Lee, named ahead of Madewell in 3 of 4 answers
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Top jeans brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lee was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Madewell was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Lee was listed before Madewell in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Levi's1st
Wrangler2nd- Lee3rd
Abercrombie & Fitch4th- Madewell5th
Nudie Jeans6th
Diesel–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Levi's5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Wrangler4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lee4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Abercrombie & Fitch3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Madewell2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Nudie Jeans1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Diesel0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about jeans brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which jeans brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best jeans brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best jeans brand for everyday wear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“jeans brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“straight leg jeans”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Lee or Madewell more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Lee and Madewell by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven jeans brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Madewell, Lee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Levi's | Madewell | Nudie Jeans | Wrangler | Lee | Abercrombie & Fitch | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.9% | 32.8% | 8% | 9.8% | 5.4% | 3% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 38.2% | 38.2% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 3.4% | 1% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.3% | 37.3% | 7.5% | 9.2% | 5% | 2.8% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.3% | 29.2% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.4% | 29% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 40.7% | 33.5% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 3% | 0.83% |
| Apr 2026 | 37% | 37% | 9% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 0.84% |
| May 2026 | 36.6% | 36.6% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 6% | 2.2% | 0.79% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.3% | 33.8% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 5.5% | 2% | 0.83% |
| Jul 2026 | 41.6% | 34% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 2% | 1% |
| Aug 2026 | 36.5% | 36.5% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 1% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.7% | 35.7% | 10.7% | 8.7% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.2% |
How has the Lee and Madewell comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Madewell was ahead of Lee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lee’s share of searches among jeans brands worldwide moved from 5.4% to 4.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Madewell’s share of searches among jeans brands worldwide moved from 32.8% to 35.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 823K.
How did search popularity change for jeans brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Madewell lost share of searches among jeans brands worldwide, from 36.5% to 35.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Lee worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 110K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Lee’s and Madewell’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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