Madeline

Madeline meaning

Madeline is an international and Christian girl's name of Greek origin (from Aramaic, via French).

Woman of Magdala, from the name of Mary Magdalene

Also used to mean: tower

Madeline comes from French Madeleine, a form of Magdalene, the name by which the Gospels know Mary Magdalene, who stood at the cross and was the first to see the risen Jesus. Strong's Concordance defines Magdalēnē as a woman from Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee, and traces Magdala to Aramaic, comparing Hebrew migdal, "tower"; hence the popular meaning "high tower". The Online Etymology Dictionary notes that English maudlin, "tearful", comes from the same name, because painters showed her weeping in repentance. Madeline is said MAD-uh-lin, and Madeleine is the French spelling.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, G3094 · entry Magdalēnē · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Strong's G3094, Magdalēnē (Bible Hub) · Strong's G3093, Magadan/Magdala (Bible Hub) · Online Etymology Dictionary, Madeline · Online Etymology Dictionary, maudlin

Famous namesakes

• Mary Magdalene, follower of Jesus in the Gospels
• Madeline, heroine of Ludwig Bemelmans' children's books

Popularity abroad

• #81 United States, girls 2025 (up 5 from 86 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #304 England and Wales, girls 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Madeline · Madeleine · Madelyn · Madalyn

Related names

Also starting with Mad-

More names of Greek origin

Browse more like this