BabyNameScore

Madeline

MAD·uh·lin /ˈmædəlɪn/ · Aramaic place-name, via Greek and Latin, then French — 'of Magdala' · 3 syllables

Madeline is comfortably familiar.

91/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

  1. Pronunciation & Spelling

    Clear, with one common misreading

    91/100

  2. Everyday Use

    Low risk

    Shortens naturally in everyday use, with three established short forms.

    95/100

  3. Growing Up

    Strong lifetime fit

    Works comfortably across child and adult settings.

    82/100

  4. International Use

    Broad international fit

    Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.

    85/100

NAME DETAILS

COMMON FORMS
Maddy
Maddie
Lena
CLOSE SPELLINGS
Madeleine
Madalyn
Madelyn
Magdalene
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS
Madeleine
Magdalena
Maddalena
ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

Madeline descends from the place-name Magdala via the New Testament figure Mary Magdalene, then through Greek and Latin into French as Madeleine, and into English as Madeline after the Norman Conquest of 1066 (via the Middle English form 'Maudelen'). The English word 'maudlin' (meaning excessively sentimental or tearful) derives from the same root, referencing devotional art depicting Mary Magdalene weeping in repentance. The Aramaic-to-French derivation chain (Magdala to Magdalene to Madeleine to Madeline) is well and consistently documented. What is genuinely uncertain, and not resolved by any source found, is why Bemelmans's 1939 book character was named Madeline rather than a more common English spelling of the era — biographical accounts point to Bemelmans's second wife's name (Madeleine Freund) as a personal inspiration, which is a separate, non-etymological naming influence layered on top of the older religious name.

  1. Madeleine (French); Magdalene/Magdalena (Latin); Μαγδαληνή (Magdalene, Greek); מגדלא (Magdala, Aramaic). 'Of Magdala' — ultimately from Aramaic migdal, 'tower,' via the place-name Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, traditionally Mary Magdalene's hometown. The name spread through Western Europe via veneration of Mary Magdalene as a major New Testament figure and saint; the French Madeleine form entered English usage following the 1066 Norman Conquest.
  2. Mythological and religious contextMary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus named in the New Testament as being from the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee; venerated as a saint in Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions.
POPULARITY

Madeline over time

United States
#81RANK

Rank #81 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Recognizable without feeling automatic. Ranked #81 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

MAD·uh·lin /ˈmædəlɪn/

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

COMMON FORMS
  • Maddy
  • Maddie
  • Lena
CLOSE SPELLINGS
  • Madeleine
  • Madalyn
  • Madelyn
  • Magdalene
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS
  • MadeleineFR
  • MagdalenaDE/ES/PL/Scandinavian
  • MaddalenaIT
PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

Classic and gentle-sounding; slightly long (three syllables) but well established as a children's-book name via Bemelmans, giving it a friendly, familiar quality for young children.

INTO ADULTHOOD

Reads as elegant and professional in adulthood; carried by figures such as Madeleine Albright, signaling strong career-name compatibility.

Cultural Footprint

Carries genuine religious weight through Mary Magdalene while also functioning as a purely secular literary name via the Bemelmans children's book character; used across Catholic and Protestant naming traditions alike.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN
  1. MadelineBemelmans book character
  2. Madeleine Albrightfirst female U.S. Secretary of State
  3. Madeleine L'Engleauthor
  4. Madeline UsherPoe
  5. Madeleine/JudyHitchcock's Vertigo

Community Impressions

Madeline's public image splits between two very different figures: the small, red-haired Parisian schoolgirl of Ludwig Bemelmans's 1939 picture book, who lives 'in an old house in Paris that was covered with vines,' and Mary Magdalene, the New Testament follower of Jesus from the Galilee town of Magdala whose name the entire Madeline/Magdalene family ultimately traces back to.

How this name is commonly received · not used in the score

More about Madeline

FORMALITY

Functions fully as a formal name, with common informal shortenings (Maddy, Maddie, Lena) widely used.

Names around it

MadelynMagdalena
EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Madeline is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

English speakers will most likely pronounce it correctly on the first try. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK

See how it works with a surname.

Madeline