girl's name
Madeline
MAD-uh-line
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 227,088
the United States
#81
2025 births
Madeline is a girl's name meaning "of Magdala," a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee whose name comes from the Hebrew migdal, a tower. Mary Magdalene is identified in the gospels by that place rather than by a family name.
- Madeline is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1998, when 5,869 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,074 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Madeline over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 454 |
| 1890s | 2,242 |
| 1900s | 4,080 |
| 1910s | 13,042 |
| 1920s | 15,585 |
| 1930s | 8,530 |
| 1940s | 9,626 |
| 1950s | 6,281 |
| 1960s | 4,780 |
| 1970s | 2,739 |
| 1980s | 5,520 |
| 1990s | 37,004 |
| 2000s | 48,361 |
| 2010s | 32,398 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 16,988 |
What Madeline means
Madeline means a woman of Magdala. It is a place-based identifier, not a description, and the town's own name derives from migdal, meaning tower — which is why some sources gloss the name as "high tower."
Where Madeline comes from
Madeline comes through the French Madeleine from the Latin Magdalena, meaning of Magdala. The town sat on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and took its name from the Hebrew migdal, a tower. Mary Magdalene is distinguished in the gospels from the other Marys by this place name. Her cult spread the name across medieval Europe, producing Maddalena in Italian, Magdalena in Spanish and German, and Madeleine in French, which English took as Madeline. The French madeleine cake is named after the same source at several removes, and gave Proust the most famous involuntary memory in European literature.
Madeline in use
Magdalene identifies Mary by her home town, so every form of the name is really a place name.
How popular is Madeline?
In 2025, Madeline was given to 3,086 babies in the United States, ranking #81 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Madeline is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Madeline
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Madeline also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Madeline over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
10 nicknames for Madeline
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.
Madeline 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 Madeline
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Madeline — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Madeline
What does the name Madeline mean?
Madeline means "of Magdala," from the Hebrew migdal, a tower.
Is Madeline connected to Mary Magdalene?
Yes. Magdalene identifies Mary by the town she came from, and every form of the name descends from it.
How is Madeline pronounced?
Most commonly MAD-uh-line in American English, and MAD-uh-lin in British.
How popular is the name Madeline?
In 2025, Madeline was given to 3,086 babies in the United States, ranking #81 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Madeline a girl's or a boy's name?
Madeline is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Madeline?
Madeline has 3 syllables.
When was Madeline most popular?
Madeline peaked in 1998, when 5,869 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Madeline?
Madeline is usually shortened to Maddie, Lena, Ade, Adel, Del and Linnie.
Is Madeline a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Madeline currently ranks #81 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.