Madeline
Madeline was the 81st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,086 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 50th with 5,869 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 10 places. More babies were named Madeline in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Madelyn) woman of Magdala (via Madeline) · French, Greek, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #81 girls, up 15 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,086girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19985,869 babies
- Total since 1880
- 207,630babies recorded
What does the name Madeline mean?
Madeline 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
Madeline popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 245 since 1921.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #81 | 3,086 |
| 2020 | #96 | 2,800 |
| 2010 | #77 | 3,604 |
| 2000 | #56 | 5,371 |
| 1990 | #198 | 1,494 |
| 1980 | #723 | 232 |
| 1970 | #535 | 354 |
| 1960 | #399 | 573 |
| 1950 | #281 | 759 |
| 1940 | #200 | 874 |
| 1930 | #173 | 1,144 |
| 1920 | #138 | 1,779 |
| 1910 | #145 | 560 |
| 1900 | #149 | 389 |
| 1890 | #256 | 96 |
| 1880 | #347 | 22 |
How popular is Madeline, counting every spelling?
Madeline is a spelling of Madelyn, a name family that ranked #15 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #81 for Madeline 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 Madeline?
3,086 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Madeline (0.86 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Madeline 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 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Madeline.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Madeline?
About 157,500 people born in the US named Madeline are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 14 and 31. That makes Madeline 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.
Madeline by state
How common Madeline was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Hampshire (3.3×), District of Columbia (3.1×), Vermont (2.8×), Maine (2.7×), Rhode Island (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Florida, Mississippi, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Madeline: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Madeline, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Madeline
What does Madeline mean?
Madeline is a spelling of Madelyn, which means “woman of Magdala (via Madeline)” (French, Greek, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Madeline?
Madeline was the 81st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,086 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 50th with 5,869 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 10 places. More babies were named Madeline in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Madeline a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Madeline in the US.
Where is Madeline most popular?
In 2021–2025, Madeline was most common in New Hampshire (5.74 per 1,000 girls), followed by District of Columbia and Vermont.