Maedell
Uncertain origin, potentially a creative spelling variation of a feminine name.
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Maedell. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maedell today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maedell births was 1923 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maedell. 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
- • The typical person named Maedell is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Maedells were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Maedell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1923
16 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1948 SSA rank
#4,457
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Maedell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maedell from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 104 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maedell 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 Maedell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maedells live
Origin
Meaning and history of Maedell
The name Maedell is believed to have originated from a combination of the Old English words "mæd" meaning "meadow" and "ell" meaning "elder tree." This suggests that the name may have roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain during the 5th to 11th centuries.
While not a common name in modern times, Maedell can be found in historical records and texts from the medieval period. One of the earliest known references to this name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Maedell was sometimes used as a variant spelling of the more common name Madeleine or Madeline, which itself derived from the biblical name Magdalene. However, Maedell seems to have maintained a distinct identity and usage, particularly in certain regions of England.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Maedell was Maedell of Lindisfarne, a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon nun and illuminator of manuscripts. She was known for her intricate calligraphy and decorative illustrations in religious texts created at the Lindisfarne Priory in Northumbria.
Another person of note was Maedell de Montfort, a 12th-century noblewoman and landowner in Leicestershire, England. Records from the time indicate that she held significant estates and wielded considerable influence in the region.
In the 14th century, there was a Maedell Bacon, a prominent wool merchant and member of the Guild of Weavers in the city of Norwich. Her successful business dealings contributed to the city's reputation as a center of textile production and trade.
Moving into the 16th century, Maedell Woodville was a noted herbalist and apothecary in London. She authored a widely-circulated treatise on the medicinal properties of various plants and herbs, which was influential in the field of early modern medicine.
Finally, in the 17th century, Maedell Cromwell was a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell, the famous Lord Protector of England during the Interregnum period. She was a respected Puritan scholar and theologian, known for her writings on religious philosophy and biblical interpretation.
While not a commonly used name in recent times, Maedell has a rich historical background that spans multiple centuries and various spheres of influence, from religion and scholarship to commerce and nobility.
People
Maedell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maedell 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
Maedell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maedell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maedell 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Maedell a common name?
We classify Maedell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 260 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maedell most popular?
The single biggest year for Maedell was 1923, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maedell is about 88 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maedell a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maedell 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.