Maddalena
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "from Magdala" or "woman of Magdala".
Name Census estimates that about 785 living Americans carry the first name Maddalena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maddalena today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maddalena births was 2015 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maddalena. 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.
People living today
785
~ 1 in 436,630 Americans
Peak year
2015
35 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,283
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Maddalena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maddalena from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 252 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Maddalena remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maddalena 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 Maddalena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maddalenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, California recorded the most babies named Maddalena, while Florida, California, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 36 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maddalena
Maddalena is a feminine given name that originates from the Italian language. It is a form of the name Magdalene, which has its roots in the ancient Aramaic name Migdal, meaning "tower" or "fortress." The name gained widespread popularity due to its association with Mary Magdalene, one of the most prominent female figures in the New Testament of the Bible.
The name Maddalena first appeared in written records during the early Middle Ages, particularly in Italy. It was commonly used by Italian families, particularly those with ties to the Catholic Church or religious orders. The name was especially revered in regions with strong Catholic traditions, such as Tuscany and Umbria.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Maddalena was Maddalena de' Medici (1473-1528), an Italian noblewoman and the daughter of Lorenzo de' Medici, the famous ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. Another notable figure was Maddalena Doni (1615-1675), an Italian painter and engraver who was active in Florence during the Baroque period.
In the realm of religious history, the name Maddalena is closely associated with Saint Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in Christianity. According to the New Testament, she was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and was present at his crucifixion and resurrection. The Catholic Church and various Christian denominations venerate her as a saint.
During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the name Maddalena gained artistic significance through its depiction in numerous works of art. Renowned painters such as Caravaggio, Titian, and Artemisia Gentileschi created notable paintings featuring Mary Magdalene, further popularizing the name in the artistic and cultural spheres.
Other notable individuals named Maddalena throughout history include Maddalena Campiglia (1553-1595), an Italian poet and philosopher; Maddalena Salvetti (1557-1615), an Italian nun and mystic; Maddalena Doglioni Marracci (1578-1652), an Italian writer and translator; and Maddalena Senarega (1630-1712), an Italian composer and singer.
Maddalena continues to be a popular name in Italy and other regions with Italian cultural influences. Its rich history, religious connotations, and artistic associations have contributed to its enduring appeal over the centuries.
People
Maddalena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maddalena 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
Maddalena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maddalena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 785 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maddalena 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 436,630 US residents.
Is Maddalena a common name?
We classify Maddalena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 850 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maddalena most popular?
The single biggest year for Maddalena was 2015, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maddalena is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maddalena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maddalena 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.