Given name & surname

Madeline

“woman from Magdala”

Madeline is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “woman from Magdala.”

Original Hebrewמאדעלין

Meaning & origin

What it means

One Hebrew interpretation is “woman from Magdala.”

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.

How it developed

From French Madeleine, from Ancient Greek Μαγδαληνή.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Madeline through the years

Babies since 1880
207,630
245 boys · 207,385 girls
Most popular year
1998
5,869 babies
2025
3,086
#81 for girls
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−4%
Steady
01,0002,0003,0004,00018801900192019401960198020002025Highest share 19981,920
Madeline in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inNew Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: New Hampshire (28), Massachusetts (97), Connecticut (39), Virginia (110), Arizona (84).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 3,086 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 81 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,869 in 1998. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (367). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 143,899 as a first name in 2020; 224 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Madeline’s family of names

In English usage, Madeline has a diminutive in Mattie. In English usage, Madeline shares an earlier linguistic root with Magdalena. In English usage, Madeline has a related form in Madelyn.

Walk Madeline’s family in the name graph

MadelineMadelynMadeleineMagdalenaMadilynMadelynnMadalynMaddieMattieMagdaleneMadalynnMalenaMadinaMadelyneMaddyMaddalenaMagdelaineMakelinaמאדעליןマデリン

Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Madeline has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.

EnglishHebrewJapanese

Hebrewwhere Madeline comes from · 1 name

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Similar names

If you love Madeline, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Hebrew · Biblical

Mariah

Mariah is a feminine given name from Hebrew.

61FamiliarCooling

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Mikayla

“who is like God?”

54UncommonCooling

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Mikaela

“who is like God?”

49UncommonEasing

>99% girls

English · Biblical

Michaela

“who is like God?” · “brook”

52UncommonEasing

>99% girls

Hebrew · Biblical

Gabrielle

“heroine of God” · “man of God”

57FamiliarCooling

1% boys · 99% girls

Hebrew · Victorian era

Abigail

“father of exaltation” · “the source of a father”

84CommonCooling

>99% girls

Hebrew · Modern

Makayla

“who is like God?”

58FamiliarCooling

>99% girls

Hebrew · Biblical

Hannah

Hannah is a Hebrew biblical name associated with divine favour and the story of Samuel’s mother.

81CommonEasing

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Madeline’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Madeline

A sister for Madeline