girl's name
Madeleine
mad-LEN
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 9
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 372,708
the United States
#454
2025 births
Madeleine is a girl's name meaning "of Magdala," a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, and it is a place name rather than a description. It ranks 107th in France and 259th in England and Wales.
- Madeleine is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1920, when 9,970 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,215 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Madeleine over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 64,915 |
| 1910s | 66,635 |
| 1920s | 79,945 |
| 1930s | 47,500 |
| 1940s | 25,400 |
| 1950s | 10,835 |
| 1960s | 2,970 |
| 1970s | 905 |
| 1980s | 715 |
| 1990s | 975 |
| 2000s | 1,550 |
| 2010s | 2,460 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,125 |
What Madeleine means
Madeleine means of Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee whose own name is generally read as tower. The name says where a woman was from, so it carries no meaning about her at all.
Where Madeleine comes from
Madeleine descends from Magdalene, the epithet of Mary Magdalene, from the Aramaic Magdala — a town whose name derives from a word for a tower. She is the woman from whom Jesus casts seven demons, who stands at the crucifixion and who is the first to encounter the resurrection. The identification of her as a prostitute has no scriptural basis: it comes from a sermon of Pope Gregory the Great in 591 conflating three separate women in the gospels, an error the Vatican formally set aside in 1969. That conflation nonetheless shaped a thousand years of art and gave English the word maudlin, from the tearful way she was painted. The cake is named for the name rather than the other way round, most likely after a cook called Madeleine, and Proust's is the most famous mouthful in French literature.
Madeleine in use
Madeleine ranks 107th in France with about 485 births in 2025 and 259th in England and Wales, and our records mark it reviving from a peak in 1920 — a genuine vintage return rather than a new name. It holds 454th in the United States. Our records carry it from 1900. French use runs alongside Madeline and Magdalena, which are the same name in other spellings.
How popular is Madeleine?
In 2025, Madeleine was given to 485 babies in France, ranking #107 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Madeleine is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Madeleine
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Madeleine also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Madeleine over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Madeleine
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Madeleine in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Madeleine
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Madeleine — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Madeleine
What does the name Madeleine mean?
Madeleine means "of Magdala," a town on the Sea of Galilee. It is a place name, not a description.
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute?
There is no scriptural basis for it. The idea comes from a 591 sermon conflating three women, which the Vatican set aside in 1969.
Is the cake named after the name?
Yes, most likely after a cook called Madeleine — not the other way round.
How do you pronounce Madeleine?
mad-LEN in French, two syllables. English speakers usually say MAD-uh-lin.
How popular is the name Madeleine?
In 2025, Madeleine was given to 485 babies in France, ranking #107 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Madeleine a girl's or a boy's name?
Madeleine is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Madeleine?
Madeleine has 3 syllables.
When was Madeleine most popular?
Madeleine peaked in 1920, when 9,970 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Madeleine?
Madeleine is usually shortened to Maddie, Adeline, Maddy and Mads.
Is Madeleine a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Madeleine currently ranks #107 in France. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.