Girl · #86 in 2026

Madeline

Madeleine or Madeline has biblical origins. The name Magdalena is derived from the Aramaic term "Magdala" (מגדלא), meaning "tower" or "elevated, great." It refers to the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, traditionally identified as the hometown of Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament who was a follower of Jesus.

  • English
Current Rank
#86
Peak Rank
#50 (1998)
Total Babies
210K
5-Yr Trend
-2%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1998
Peak Year
#50
Peak Rank
210K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Madeline

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Madeleine or Madeline has biblical origins. The name Magdalena is derived from the Aramaic term "Magdala" (מגדלא), meaning "tower" or "elevated, great." It refers to the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, traditionally identified as the hometown of Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament who was a follower of Jesus.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Madeline

Madeline first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 22 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1998: 5,869 births, good for #50 nationwide. About 23% of every Madeline on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Madeline ranks #86 for baby girls with 2,856 births, holding steady (-2%). All told, over 210K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Madeline

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Madeline. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Madeline

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Madeleine of Valois (1520–1537), French princess who was briefly Queen consort of Scotland through her marriage to James V of Scotland
  • Madeleine Albright (1937–2022), American politician and the first woman United States Secretary of State
  • Madeleine Astor (1893–1940), American socialite, second wife and widow of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and a survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster
  • Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779–1865), French Catholic saint and founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart
  • Madelaine Bavent (1602–1652), French nun accused and convicted of witchcraft
  • Madeleine Béjart (1618–1672), French actress and theatre director
  • Madeleine Brès (1842–1921), first French woman to obtain a medical degree
  • Madeleine Boll (born 1953), Swiss footballer

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Madeline

Phonetically similar names — useful when Madeline is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Madeline

What does the name Madeline mean?
Madeleine or Madeline has biblical origins. The name Magdalena is derived from the Aramaic term "Magdala" (מגדלא), meaning "tower" or "elevated, great." It refers to the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, traditionally identified as the hometown of Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament who was a follower of Jesus.
What is the origin of the name Madeline?
Madeline has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Madeline in 2026?
In 2026, Madeline ranks #86 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,856 babies given the name that year.
When was Madeline most popular?
Madeline reached its peak popularity in 1998, ranking #50 that year with 5,869 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Madeline most popular?
Madeline has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Madeline.
Is Madeline a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Madeline is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Madeline?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Madeline include Sylvia, Joann, Jocelyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Madeline?
Common variants and related forms of Madeline include Madalyn, Maddie, Maddy, Madelaine, Madeleine, Madelina. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Sylvia
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Joann
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Jocelyn
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Sheila
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Vicki
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About the name Madeline

Madeline is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 210K births in the dataset. Madeline's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #50. Use the chart and map above to compare Madeline's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.