Madilyn
Meaning
modern variant spelling of Madelyn/Madeline
The story
Madilyn is the Madeline family with an American vowel swapped in, the same quiet edit the Ada dynasty makes with Adalyn, and it keeps the old root: Magdalene, the woman of Magdala. The constellation is well mapped in our records, Madeline the French classic and Madelyn the standard American respelling, which runs about 116,100 to Madilyn's 23,600. The i-spelling built its record fast: about 1,200 in the 1990s, 6,900 in the 2000s, 10,100 in the 2010s, and 5,200 so far this decade. It goes to girls completely: not one boy in the record. Every family in the constellation shortens the same way, Maddie at the school gate, and the spelling is how the certificate tells you which household the Maddie comes from. An ancient name, an American vowel, and a record that shows the edit worked.
Madilyn 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. Madilyn peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
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 Madilyn
Most people given the name Madilyn 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 Madilyn deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Madilyn 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 Madilyn fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Does Madilyn fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Madilyn to your family’s tree →