Madalene
Madalene was the 11532nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1919, when it ranked 1032nd with 49 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 6,573 places. More babies were named Madalene in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Madalyn) variant of Madeline · English, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #11,532 girls, up 2,924 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 191949 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,426babies recorded
What does the name Madalene mean?
Madalene is a spelling of Madalyn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Madalyn's meaning and origin.
Madalyn is described by Wiktionary as a rare spelling of Madeline, which comes from Magdalene, the byname of Mary Magdalene, 'woman of Magdala'. Magdala was a town on the Sea of Galilee whose name comes from Aramaic and Hebrew migdal 'tower'. The -lyn spelling follows names such as Marilyn and Jocelyn. Madalyn Murray O'Hair, founder of American Atheists, is a well-known bearer.
מִגְדָּל (migdal) (Hebrew / Aramaic, “tower”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Madeline, Madelyn, Magdalena, Maddie.
See also: Hebrew names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Madalyn', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Madeline', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Magdalene', DMNES (Durham University)
Madalene popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,532 | 8 |
| 2020 | #14,456 | 6 |
| 2010 | #11,862 | 9 |
| 2000 | #12,599 | 7 |
| 1990 | #8,262 | 10 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #8,772 | 5 |
| 1960 | #6,111 | 6 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | #2,262 | 14 |
| 1930 | #2,077 | 17 |
| 1920 | #1,069 | 49 |
| 1910 | #1,246 | 14 |
| 1900 | #1,383 | 9 |
| 1890 | #1,450 | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Madalene, counting every spelling?
Madalene is a spelling of Madalyn, a name family that ranked #610 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11,532 for Madalene on its own. Together these spellings went to 482 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madalyn | 273 | #946 | 1,401 |
| Madalynn | 161 | #1,370 | 962 |
| Madaline | 20 | #6,036 | 126 |
| Madalyne | 9 | #10,581 | 38 |
| Maddalyn | — | — | 36 |
| Madalynne | 11 | #9,235 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Madalene?
8 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Madalene (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Madalene born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1,057 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Madalene.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Madalene?
About 500 people born in the US named Madalene are alive today, with a median age of 33; half are between 21 and 70. That makes Madalene mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Madalene by state
How common Madalene was among girls born in each state in 1917–1921, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (2.0×). In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Madalene: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Madalene, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Madalene
What does Madalene mean?
Madalene is a spelling of Madalyn, which means “variant of Madeline” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Madalene?
Madalene was the 11532nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1919, when it ranked 1032nd with 49 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 6,573 places. More babies were named Madalene in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Madalene a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Madalene in the US.
Where was Madalene most popular?
In 1917–1921, Madalene was most common in Pennsylvania (0.07 per 1,000 girls), followed by West Virginia and Michigan.