girl's name
Madelyn
MAD-uh-lin
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 122,224
the United States
#71
2025 births
Madelyn is a girl's name and a modern American respelling of Madeline, which descends from Magdalene — meaning "of Magdala," a town on the Sea of Galilee. Mary Magdalene took her name from it, and the town's own name comes from a word for tower.
- Madelyn is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 4,572 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 986 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1890.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Madelyn over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 156 |
| 1900s | 417 |
| 1910s | 1,924 |
| 1920s | 2,869 |
| 1930s | 1,628 |
| 1940s | 2,297 |
| 1950s | 1,959 |
| 1960s | 1,140 |
| 1970s | 870 |
| 1980s | 1,206 |
| 1990s | 8,640 |
| 2000s | 32,653 |
| 2010s | 39,209 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 21,092 |
What Madelyn means
Madelyn means a woman of Magdala, so it is a place-based name rather than a descriptive one. Magdala itself derives from the Hebrew migdal, meaning tower, which is why some sources gloss the name as "high tower."
Where Madelyn comes from
Madelyn descends through Madeline and the French Madeleine from the Latin Magdalena, meaning a woman of Magdala — a fishing village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, whose name comes from migdal, a tower. Mary Magdalene is identified in the gospels by that place, distinguishing her from the other Marys. The name spread through medieval Europe with her cult and produced Madeleine in French, Maddalena in Italian, and Madeline in English. The -lyn ending is a recent American respelling, part of the same pattern as Adalynn and Emersyn, and United States birth records show Madelyn rising sharply from the 1990s.
Madelyn in use
Magdalene is a place name, not a personal one — it identifies Mary by the town she came from.
How popular is Madelyn?
In 2025, Madelyn was given to 3,362 babies in the United States, ranking #71 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Madelyn 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 Madelyn
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Madelyn also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Madelyn over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Madelyn
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.
Madelyn 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 Madelyn
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Madelyn — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Madelyn
What does the name Madelyn mean?
Madelyn means "of Magdala," a town by the Sea of Galilee whose name comes from a Hebrew word for tower.
Is Madelyn the same as Madeline?
Yes. Madelyn is a modern American respelling of Madeline.
Is Madelyn connected to Mary Magdalene?
Yes. Magdalene identifies Mary by her home town, and every form of the name descends from it.
How popular is the name Madelyn?
In 2025, Madelyn was given to 3,362 babies in the United States, ranking #71 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Madelyn a girl's or a boy's name?
Madelyn is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Madelyn?
Madelyn has 3 syllables.
When was Madelyn most popular?
Madelyn peaked in 2008, when 4,572 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Madelyn?
Madelyn is usually shortened to Maddie, Lyn and Maddy.
Is Madelyn a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Madelyn currently ranks #71 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.