Madline
Madeline is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature film. The stories take place in a Catholic boarding school in Paris.
Meaning & Origin of Madline
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Madeline is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature film. The stories take place in a Catholic boarding school in Paris.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Madline
Madline first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1901, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 22 Madlines were born — ranking #1,867 that year. As of 2026, Madline ranks #12,425 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 250 Madlines have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Madline
Phonetically similar names — useful when Madline 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 Madline
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About the name Madline
Madline is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1901 and has accumulated 250 births in the dataset. Madline's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #1,867. Use the chart and map above to compare Madline's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.