Madeline

mad-uh-line; mad-lin; mad-uh-lin
English variation of Magdalen
"high tower or woman from Magdala"

Madeline Origin and Meaning

The name Madeline is a girl's name of English origin meaning "high tower or woman from Magdala".

Madeline, a lovely name with a soft and delicate image, is an old-fashioned favorite that returned to favor in the 1990's, combining a classic pedigree with a cute nickname option: Maddy.

Madeline has been found frequently in literature, from the poems of Keats and Tennyson to Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby to the charming and much loved children's books of Ludwig Bemelmans starring the sprightly French schoolgirl.

The name has numerous spelling variants, including the French Madeleine and the new options, like Madelyn and Madalyn.

Never off the Social Security list, Madeline entered the Top 100 in 1994, peaking at Number 50 in 1998. It remains one of the most popular girls' names starting with M and is the favorite spelling option among Nameberry users.

While Madelyn is now the preferred choice in the US - perhaps to avoid confusion over that end sound - Madeline doesn't rank far behind and is still given to more than 2500 babies every year. When you combine all the spelling variants together, however, Madeline and co begin to feel a lot like a Top 10 option.

Not necessarily a bad thing - it is a versatile and sophisticated option after all - but if you were looking for something a little more unexpected, Gwendoline, Marigold, Amandine, Maude or Marcelline might appeal to you.

# 94 in the US

Madeline Rank in US Top 1000

# 150 on Nameberry

Madeline Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Madeline Popularity

Famous People Named Madeline

  • Madeline Gail Kahn
    American actress
  • (Marissa) Madeline Carroll
    American actress
  • Madeline Juno
    German singer,songwriter
  • Madeline Elizabeth Duggan
    English actress
  • Madeline Brewer
    American actress
  • Madeline Manning
    American Olympic runner
  • Madeline "Maya" Dirado
    American swimmer
  • Madeline Lee Gilford
    American actress
  • Madeline Harper
    pen name of American novelists Madeline Porter and Shannon Harper
  • Madeline Fairbanks
    American silent film actress; twin sister Marion Fairbanks
  • Madeline Bell
    American R&B singer
  • Madeline Zima
    American actress
  • Madeline Mulqueen
    Irish model and actress
  • Madeline Merlo
    Canadian country music singer
  • Madeline Cowe
    Miss World Australia 2016
  • Madeline Helen Arakawa Gins
    American artist
  • Madeline Mitchell Gwin
    Miss Alabama USA 2011
  • Madeline Hartog
    Bel, Peruvian model; 1967 Miss World
  • Madeline Smith (b. 1990)
    daughter of actors Cotter Smith and Mel Harris
  • Madeline O'Reilly (b. 1998)
    daughter of TV commentator Bill O'Reilly
  • Madeline Beaver (b. 2001)
    daughter of actors Cecily Adams and Jim Beaver
  • Madeline Leigh DeMarcus (b. 2010)
    daughter of singer Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts and Allison Alderson
  • Madeline Emilia Castro (b. 2011)
    daughter of singer Jason Castro
  • Madeline Robbie Schneider (b. 2016)
    daughter of actor Rob Schneider
  • Sunny Madeline Sandler (b. 2009)
    daughter of actor Adam Sandler

Madeline in Pop Culture

  • Madeline
    character in the "Madeline" children's books, TV show, and movies
  • Madeline Robin
    character in "Winnie,the,Pooh" series
  • Madeline Reeves
    character on American soap "General Hospital"
  • Madeline Bassett
    character in P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" series
  • Madeline Martha Mackenzie
    character in book and TV series "Big Little Lies"
  • "Madeline Lee
    " opera by John Haddock
  • Madeline Beck
    character in the Dear America series
  • Madeline Hatter
    character in "Ever After High"
  • Madeline "Ma" Oceana
    character in the webcomic "Riverside Extras" by Miri Chamberlain
  • Madeline Fabray LaMotte Main
    character in book and TV miniseries “North and South”
  • Madeline Usher
    character in the short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe