Magdeline
Magdeline is a feminine name of Greek origin meaning "woman from Magdala".
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the first name Magdeline. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Magdeline today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Magdeline births was 1918 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Magdeline. 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
320
~ 1 in 1,071,107 Americans
Peak year
1918
20 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2020 SSA rank
#16,596
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Magdeline: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Magdeline from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 115 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
Magdeline 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 Magdeline during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Magdeline
The name Magdeline originated from the ancient Aramaic name Migdal, meaning "tower" or "fortress." It is derived from the Hebrew word "migdal," which has the same meaning. The name gained popularity through its association with Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament.
In the early Christian era, the name Magdeline was primarily used in regions with strong Christian influence, such as parts of Europe and the Middle East. It was particularly popular in areas where the veneration of Mary Magdalene was widespread.
The earliest known historical reference to the name Magdeline can be found in the New Testament of the Bible. Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, is mentioned several times in the Gospels. She is often referred to as "Mary Magdalene" or "the Magdalene," indicating her connection to the town of Magdala.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Magdeline was Magdalena of Valois (1443-1495), a French princess and the wife of Gaston de Foix. Another notable figure was Magdalena Sibylla of Prussia (1586-1659), a German noblewoman who served as the Electress of Saxony.
In the realm of literature, Magdeline appears in the works of various authors. For instance, in William Shakespeare's play "The Life of Henry VIII," there is a character named Magdalen, a gentlewoman attending on Katherine of Aragon.
The name Magdeline also has religious significance in certain Christian traditions. Saint Magdalena of Nagasaki (1611-1634) was a Japanese Christian martyr who was crucified for her faith during the Tokugawa Shogunate's persecution of Christians.
Another notable figure was Magdalena Aleman (1201-1240), a Spanish nun and mystic who is venerated as a Blessed in the Catholic Church. She is known for her spiritual writings and her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Magdeline has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as Magdalene, Madeleine, and Maudeline. These variations reflect the cultural and linguistic influences of different regions, contributing to the richness and diversity of the name's heritage.
People
Magdeline + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Magdeline 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
Magdeline: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Magdeline?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 320 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Magdeline 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 1,071,107 US residents.
Is Magdeline a common name?
We classify Magdeline as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 624 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Magdeline most popular?
The single biggest year for Magdeline was 1918, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Magdeline is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Magdeline a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Magdeline 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.