Madeleine (name)

Madeleine is a feminine given name, ultimately of Greek origin, a modern rendering of the epithet Magdalene, meaning "of Magdala." The name exists in various spellings and pronunciations and is popular among those living in Europe and the Anglophone as well as followers of Christianity, as Mary Magdalene was a central figure in the New Testament.

Madeleine
Mary Magdalene, the saint responsible for the popularity of the name Madeleine, in a painting by Frederick Sandys.
Pronunciation/ˈmædlɪn/ MAD-lin, /ˈmædəlɪn/ MAD-ə-lin
French: [madˈlɛn, madˈlen]
Madeline:
/ˈmædəlaɪn/ MAD-ə-lyne, /-liːn/ -⁠leen
GenderFemale
Origin
Meaning"from Magdala", "tower", "elevated, great, magnificent"
Other names
Related namesMadeline, Madelyn, Magdalena, Magdalene, მაგდა (Geo:Magda), Maddalena, Maddie, Maddy
Popularitysee popular names

Overview

Origins

Madeleine is a modern rendering, found in English and French, of the Greek epithet Μαγδαληνη (Magdalini, "from Magdala). It arose as a name due to its association with the Biblical character and female disciple Mary Magdalene.

Popularity

United States

Since 1992, Madeleine and its variant, Madeline, have both appeared in the top 500 most popular baby names for girls born in the US, with Madeline being the more popular of the spelling, in the top 100 since 1994.

Canada

Madeline was the 85th most popular name given to girls born in British Columbia, Canada in 2005.[1]

England and Wales

Madeleine was the 80th most popular name given to girls born in England and Wales in 2007.[2]

Australia

Madeleine was the 93rd most popular name for girls born in New South Wales, Australia in 2007.[1]

Pronunciations

Madeleine has several possible pronunciations, depending on the language and the country. In France, the name is pronounced /ma.dlɛn/ and the two most popular pronunciations in English are /ˈmædələn/ (US English) and /ˈmadlɪn/ (UK English).

Diminutives

Popular diminutives for the name include Mads (Madds), Maddy (Mady, Madi, Madie, Maddi, Maddie), Deleine and Leine.

Spellings
  • Madeline
  • Madeleine
  • Madelyne
  • Madelaine
  • Madelin
  • Madelyn
  • Madelynn
  • Madelynne
  • Mattilyn
  • Madalyn
  • Madalynn
  • Madalynne
  • Madalin
  • Maddalyn
  • Maddalynn
  • Maddalynne
  • Maddalin
  • Madylin
  • Madlyn
  • Madlynn
  • Madlynne
  • Maddlyn
  • Maddlynn
  • Maddlynne
  • Madelinn
  • Madilynn
  • Madilyn
  • Madilynne

People named Madeleine

People named Madeline

Fictional characters
  • Dr.Madeleine Swann, love interest in the 2015 James Bond film, Spectre
  • Madeline, heroine of the book series of the same name by Ludwig Bemelmans
  • Monsieur Madeleine, an alias used by Jean Valjean in the novel Les Misérables
  • Madeline Bassett, a recurring character in the Jeeves stories of P. G. Wodehouse
  • Madeline Bray, the wife of Nicholas Nickleby in the novel of that name by Charles Dickens
  • Medeleine Cahill, daughter of the alchemist Gideon and Olivia Cahill, founder of the Madrigal Branch in "The 39 Clues" series who's alluded to in a code in book five---"Olivia had another"---mentioned in book nine and ten and who appears in "The 39 Clues 11: Vespers Rising"
  • Madeleine Elster, the mysterious central character in Hitchcock's film, Vertigo
  • Maddie Fitzpatrick (Madeline), in Disney's TV series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
  • Madeleine Gotto, from the Canadian children's animated television series Mona the Vampire
  • Madeleine Gravis, from Charlie Kauffman's film, Synecdoche, New York
  • Madeleine Hanna, the heroine of Jeffrey Eugenides' 2011 book The Marriage Plot
  • Madeline Hatter, daughter of the Mad Hatter in the Mattel doll franchise Ever After High
  • Madeline "Mads" Ryback, in the television show The Lying Game
  • Madeline Westen, in the television series Burn Notice
  • Madeline, the protagonist of the video game Celeste
  • Madelyn Maddie Hayes, in the television series Moonlighting

References
  1. Behind the Name
  2. UK Office for National Statistics
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