Madelyn

Capturing some of the playful elegance of Madeleine, while avoiding any confusion over the end sound, Madelyn is now an established spelling variation of the French classic. Sweet but strong, Madelyn is a versatile choice that lends itself to the almost inevitable nickname Maddy.

Derived from the Hebrew name Magdalene, meaning "of Magdala" or "from the high tower", Madelyn has been in use since the 1890s

It did take nearly a century for it to really catch on, however, and even now, Madeline and Madeleine are more popular across the globe — and among Nameberry users. Nevertheless, in 2009, Madelyn took over in the US as the number one spelling choice of the name.

Given to over 3000 babies every year, it sounds classic, like Matilda or Caroline, while still looking like an on-trend option, such as Evelyn and Raelynn.

The disadvantage of this name, however, is that when you combine all its spelling variants — from Madelaine to Madilynn — it is given to nearly 10,000 babies every year. Throw Madison into the mix and suddenly you're looking at a lot of Maddys, and a name that feels like a Top 10 option even when it isn't.

Such popularity might not bother you at all, but if you were interested in similar but lesser-used options (in the US at least), you could consider the original Magdalene or Magdalena, or perhaps an international variant like Maialen, Matleena, Magali, or Malin. Other alternatives could include Marigold, Gwendolyn, Madelief, Madita, or Merrilyn.

Madelyn is also given to boys.

Pronounced MAD-uh-lin.

As of October 2026, Madelyn ranked #71 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #58 in 2023, Nameberry popularity #528.