Madeleyn
A feminine name of French origin meaning "from Magdala".
Name Census estimates that about 193 living Americans carry the first name Madeleyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Madeleyn today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Madeleyn births was 2015 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Madeleyn. 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
193
~ 1 in 1,775,929 Americans
Peak year
2015
27 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,426
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Madeleyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Madeleyn from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 130 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Madeleyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madeleyn 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 Madeleyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Madeleyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Madeleyn
The given name Madeleyn is a variant spelling of the French name Madeleine, which has its origins in the biblical name Magdalene. The name Magdalene is derived from the Aramaic Magdala, referring to the town of Magdala in ancient Galilee where Mary Magdalene, one of the most important female figures in the New Testament, was born.
Magdalene has been a popular name throughout Christian history, particularly in Europe, as it pays tribute to the devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The name Madeleine emerged as the French form of Magdalene and eventually gave rise to different spellings like Madeleyn in other languages and cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Madeleyn can be found in medieval English literature, such as Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" from the late 14th century, where the character of the Wife of Bath is named Alisoun or Madeleyne.
In the 16th century, Madeleyn de l'Aubespine (1546-1596), a French noblewoman and poet, became known for her literary works and patronage of the arts during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure was Madeleyn Berckelouw (1619-1670), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for her still-life paintings and portraits.
In the 18th century, Madeleyn Oudkerk (1750-1825) was a Dutch composer and harpsichordist who made significant contributions to the Classical music era.
More recently, Madeleyn Pavek (1910-1994) was an American artist and illustrator renowned for her work in children's literature and her collaborations with various authors.
Throughout history, the name Madeleyn has been associated with individuals from various fields, including literature, arts, music, and religion, reflecting its enduring popularity and versatility across cultures and time periods.
People
Madeleyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Madeleyn 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
Madeleyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Madeleyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 193 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Madeleyn 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 1,775,929 US residents.
Is Madeleyn a common name?
We classify Madeleyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 195 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Madeleyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Madeleyn was 2015, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Madeleyn is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Madeleyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Madeleyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Madeleyn 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.
Is Madeleyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Madeleyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Madeleyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Madeleyn?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Madeleyn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.