Madelyn
Meaning
"woman of Magdala," from Magdalene, the fishing village on the Sea of Galilee; Madelyn is the streamlined American spelling of Madeline, part of the same vintage current that lifted Evelyn. Maddie leads its short forms
The story
Madelyn traces back to Magdala, the fishing village on the Sea of Galilee that gave the world Mary Magdalene, the woman of Magdala. From Magdalene came the French Madeleine, the English Madeline, and eventually this streamlined American spelling, tidy on the page and unambiguous to pronounce. Madelyn kept a quiet, steady presence in US records through most of the twentieth century, never gone but never fashionable, then caught the same vintage current that lifted Evelyn and its sisters: a climb beginning in the 1990s, accelerating through the 2000s, and cresting in the 2010s and 2020s at its highest levels yet. Maddie leads its short forms, friendly where the full name is polished. It is an old story in a new spelling, which is, quietly, exactly what many modern parents are hoping to find.
Madelyn around the world
One shared root links 9 names across 3 languages.
Shared root: from Magdala, the village on the Sea of Galilee (Aramaic magdala "tower"), via Mary Magdalene
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Madelyn peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
31 people · the #92,291 first name in Brazil · median age 8
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
How the spellings raced
Across these spellings, Madelyn led in the group’s busiest decade, the 2010s. So far in the 2020s, Madelyn leads.
Decade totals from US Social Security birth registrations. Every line uses the same scale. The 2020s covers 2020–2025.
When you meet Madelyn
Most people given the name Madelyn in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Madelyn deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Madelyn truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Madelyn fits with your family’s names and surname.
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