Madelaine
Madelaine was the 5337th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 1043rd; the most babies were born in 1998 (119). Over the last ten years it has moved up 615 places. More babies were named Madelaine in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Madelyn) woman of Magdala (via Madeline) · French, Greek, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #5,337 girls, down 830 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 24girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1998119 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,398babies recorded
What does the name Madelaine mean?
Madelaine is a spelling of Madelyn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Madelyn's meaning and origin.
Madelyn is a modern spelling of Madeline, the English form of French Madeleine. All of these go back to Magdalene, the byname of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels, which means 'woman from Magdala', a village on the Sea of Galilee. Wiktionary derives the village name from Hebrew migdal, 'tower'. DMNES finds Latin Magdalena in English records from 1551. The -lyn ending, as in Brooklyn and Evelyn, is an American respelling of the 20th century.
Μαγδαληνή (Koine Greek, “woman of Magdala”)מגדל (Hebrew, “migdal, tower”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Madeline, Madeleine, Madilyn, Madalyn, Magdalene, Maddie.
See also: Hebrew names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Madelyn', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Magdalene', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Magdalene', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Madelaine popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,337 | 24 |
| 2020 | #4,507 | 30 |
| 2010 | #2,888 | 60 |
| 2000 | #1,787 | 98 |
| 1990 | #2,062 | 65 |
| 1980 | #5,421 | 13 |
| 1970 | #5,646 | 9 |
| 1960 | #5,012 | 8 |
| 1950 | #2,031 | 23 |
| 1940 | #3,116 | 9 |
| 1930 | #3,230 | 9 |
| 1920 | #2,226 | 17 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Madelaine, counting every spelling?
Madelaine is a spelling of Madelyn, a name family that ranked #15 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,337 for Madelaine on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,940 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madelyn | 3,362 | #71 | 17,533 |
| Madeline | 3,086 | #81 | 14,188 |
| Madeleine | 679 | #455 | 3,714 |
| Madelynn | 573 | #524 | 3,108 |
| Madelin | 74 | #2,426 | 320 |
| Madelyne | 81 | #2,270 | 319 |
| Madelaine | 24 | #5,337 | 141 |
| Madelynne | 23 | #5,496 | 123 |
| Maddelyn | 18 | #6,463 | 91 |
| Madelene | — | — | 33 |
| Maddeline | 10 | #9,849 | 30 |
| Maddelynn | — | — | 26 |
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 Madelaine?
24 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Madelaine (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Madelaine 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 347 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Madelaine.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Madelaine?
About 2,900 people born in the US named Madelaine are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 20 and 36. That makes Madelaine mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Madelaine by state
How common Madelaine was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.2×). In 50 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 Madelaine: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Madelaine, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Madelaine
What does Madelaine mean?
Madelaine is a spelling of Madelyn, which means “woman of Magdala (via Madeline)” (French, Greek, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Madelaine?
Madelaine was the 5337th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 1043rd; the most babies were born in 1998 (119). Over the last ten years it has moved up 615 places. More babies were named Madelaine in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Madelaine a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Madelaine in the US.
Where is Madelaine most popular?
In 2021–2025, Madelaine was most common in California (0.04 per 1,000 girls).