Magdalena
A feminine name of Greek origin signifying a woman from Magdala.
Name Census estimates that about 14,776 living Americans carry the first name Magdalena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Magdalena today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Magdalena births was 2007 (325 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Magdalena. 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
15K
~ 1 in 23,197 Americans
Peak year
2007
325 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1986 SSA rank
#838
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Magdalena
Out of the 19,456 babies given the name Magdalena since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Magdalena as a male name
- Ranked #7,406 in 1986
- 5 male births in 1986
- Peak: 1982 (5 births)
Magdalena as a female name
- Ranked #838 in 2024
- 321 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (325 births)
Popularity
Magdalena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Magdalena from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 2,841 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Magdalena remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Magdalena 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 Magdalena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Magdalenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 39 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Magdalena, while Utah, Nebraska, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 373 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Magdalena
Magdalena is a feminine given name derived from the ancient Aramaic name Migdal, meaning "tower" or "fortress." The name has its roots in the Hebrew Bible, where it appears as the name of a town in the region of Galilee. It gained widespread popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages, primarily due to its association with Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Magdalena can be traced back to the 4th century, when Saint Mary Magdalene was venerated as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Her name was often invoked in religious texts and liturgies, contributing to the name's widespread adoption among Christian communities.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Magdalena. One of the most famous was Magdalena of Valois (1443-1495), a French princess who married Gaston de Foix, the Count of Candalle. Another prominent figure was Magdalena of Brandenburg (1487-1534), a German princess who played a significant role in the Reformation movement.
In the realm of arts and literature, Magdalena Ventura (1766-1846) was a renowned Italian poet and writer who gained recognition for her sonnets and lyrical compositions. The name also appears in the works of renowned authors, such as the character Magdalena in the novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera.
The name Magdalena also holds significance in the world of music. Magdalena Kozená (born 1973) is a celebrated Czech mezzo-soprano who has performed in prestigious opera houses around the world. Additionally, Magdalena Baczewska (1794-1858) was a Polish composer and pianist renowned for her contributions to the development of Polish national music.
While the name Magdalena has maintained its popularity throughout the centuries, it has also undergone various spellings and variations across different cultures and languages. Some examples include Madeleine in French, Maddalena in Italian, and Magdalena in Spanish and Portuguese.
People
Magdalena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Magdalena 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
Magdalena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Magdalena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14,776 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Magdalena 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 23,197 US residents.
Is Magdalena a common name?
We classify Magdalena as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19,456 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Magdalena most popular?
The single biggest year for Magdalena was 2007, when 325 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Magdalena is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Magdalena a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Magdalena 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.