Madalynn
A feminine given name of Old German origin meaning "woman from Magdala".
Name Census estimates that about 9,046 living Americans carry the first name Madalynn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Madalynn today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Madalynn births was 2009 (557 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Madalynn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Madalynn is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
9.0K
~ 1 in 37,890 Americans
Peak year
2009
557 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,172
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Madalynn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Madalynn from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 4,007 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madalynn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Madalynn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Madalynns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 41 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Madalynn, while Wyoming, New Mexico, North Dakota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 187 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Madalynn
The name Madalynn is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the combination of the Hebrew name "Magdalene" and the English suffix "-ynn." The name Magdalene itself is believed to have originated from the Hebrew words "migdal" (tower) and "eden" (delight), suggesting the meaning "tower of delight" or "woman from Magdala."
The earliest known use of the name Madalynn can be traced back to the 19th century in English-speaking countries. It gained popularity as a variant spelling of the more traditional name "Madeline" or "Madeleine," which has French roots and was popularized by the famous novel "Madeleine" by French author Ludwig Bemelmans.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Madalynn in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name Magdalene has Biblical connections. Mary Magdalene was a prominent figure in the New Testament, often referred to as one of Jesus Christ's closest followers. Her name and story have been widely celebrated in Christian traditions throughout history.
Some notable individuals who bore the name Madalynn include Madalynn Monahan (born 1946), an American actress known for her roles in TV series like "Starsky and Hutch" and "Charlie's Angels." Madalynn Pavlick (born 1923 - died 2018) was an American artist and painter, known for her landscape and still-life works. Madalynn Hiratzka (born 1953) is a Canadian curler who won multiple championships in the sport.
Another famous Madalynn was Madalynn Murray O'Hair (1919 - 1995), an American activist who was a prominent figure in the atheist movement and played a crucial role in the landmark Supreme Court case that banned mandatory prayer in public schools. Madalynn Arndt (born 1938) is an American social psychologist and professor emerita at the University of Missouri, known for her research on interpersonal relationships and social cognition.
While the name Madalynn may not have a long historical lineage, its unique spelling and connection to the more traditional name "Magdalene" have contributed to its enduring appeal and usage over the past centuries.
People
Madalynn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Madalynn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Madalynn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Madalynn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,046 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Madalynn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 37,890 US residents.
Is Madalynn a common name?
We classify Madalynn as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,174 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Madalynn most popular?
The single biggest year for Madalynn was 2009, when 557 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Madalynn is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Madalynn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Madalynn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.