Madeline
Meaning of Madeline
Madeline comes from Magdalene by way of the French Madeleine. Magdalene means woman of Magdala, a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name derives from the Hebrew word for tower. Madeline is pronounced MAD-uh-lin.
The name honors Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus in the Gospels. Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline books, begun in 1939, follow the smallest of twelve girls at a Paris boarding school. Namesakes include Oscar-nominated comic actress Madeline Kahn and novelist Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe.
In the United States, Madeline fell to 721st in 1980 before climbing to its peak of 50th in 1998. It ranked 81st in 2025, with 3,086 babies. Among the 100 most popular girls' names of 2025, it is No. 52 for how fast it climbed the rankings from 2016 to 2025.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as MAD-uh-lin (/ˈmædəlɪn/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Madeline
| Madeline Kahn was an American actress, comedian, and singer known for Mel Brooks and Peter Bogdanovich comedies, earning Academy Award nominations for Paper Moon and Blazing Saddles. |
| Madeline Miller is an American novelist best known for The Song of Achilles and Circe, with The Song of Achilles winning the Orange Prize for Fiction and Miller a 2019 Alex Awards recipient. |
| Madeline Yale Wynne was an American artist, teacher, writer, and philanthropist who served as the first president of the Deerfield Society of Arts and Crafts, helped found the Chicago Arts and Crafts Society, and appeared in the Chicago Social Register. |
| Madeline Hollander is an American artist choreographer and dancer based in New York City whose work explores human movement and the intersection of choreography and visual art. |
| Madeline Rae Merlo is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter who signed with Open Road in 2013, won the 2015 CCMA Rising Star award, released her debut Free Soul in 2016, and in 2021 joined BBR Music Group and later Stoney Creek Records. |
| Madeline Sayet is an American director and writer who grew up in Norwich and Uncasville, Connecticut. |
| German singer songwriter Madeline Juno, born Madeline Obrigewitsch, released her debut single Error in November 2013. |
| Australian swimmer Madeline Groves is a four time 200 meter butterfly national champion, a 2014 Commonwealth bronze medalist who also swam heats for the gold medal freestyle relay, and a 2016 Rio Olympian in the 100 and 200 butterfly and 4 by 200 meter freestyle relay. |
| Madeline Zima is an American actress known for playing Grace Sheffield in The Nanny, Mia Lewis in Californication, and Gretchen Berg in Heroes. |
| Madeline Kathryn Brewer is an American actress known for Orange Is the New Black and Hemlock Grove, and for starring in The Handmaid's Tale and You, earning a 2021 Emmy nomination. |
| Madeline Carroll is an American actress known for starring in Flipped, Swing Vote, The Spy Next Door, and The Magic of Belle Isle. |
| Madeline Mulqueen is an Irish model and part-time actress. |
| Madeline Manning Mims is a former American runner and Olympic champion who won 800 meter gold in 1968 and 4x400 relay silver in 1972, earned ten national titles, and overcame childhood illness. |
| Madeline is a folk singer and songwriter from Athens Georgia. |
