Madelyn

mad-uh-lin

Variation of Madeline, English

"woman from Magdala or high tower"

Updated Fri Sep 27 2024

Madelyn Origin and Meaning

The name Madelyn is a girl's name of French origin meaning "woman from Magdala or high tower".

Capturing some of the playful elegance of Madeleine, while avoiding any confusion over end sound, Madelyn is now an established spelling variation of the French classic. Sweet but strong, Madelyn is a versatile choice that lends itself to the almost inevitable nickname Maddy.

Derived from the Hebrew name Magdalene, meaning “of Magdala” or “from the high tower”, Madelyn has been in use since the 1890s.

It did take nearly a century for it to really catch on, however, and even now, Madeline and Madeleine are more popular across the globe – and among Nameberry users. Nevertheless, in 2009, Madelyn took over in the US as the number one spelling choice of the name.

Given to nearly 4000 babies every year, it sounds classic, like Matilda or Caroline, while still looking like an on-trend option, such as Evelyn and Raelynn.

The disadvantage of this name, however, is that when you combine all its spelling variants – from Madelaine to Madilynn – it is given to nearly 10,000 babies every year. Throw Madison into the mix and suddenly you’re looking at a lot of Maddys, and a name that feels like a Top 10 option even when it isn’t.

Such popularity might not bother you at all, but if you were interested in similar but lesser-used options (in the US at least), you could consider the original Magdalene or Magdalena, or perhaps an international variant like Maialen, Matleena, Magali, or Malin. Other alternatives could include Marigold, Gwendolyn, Madelief, Madita, or Merrilyn.

# 58 in the US

Madelyn Rank in US Top 1000

# 970 on Nameberry

Madelyn Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Madelyn Popularity

58US2023
970Nameberry2024
85Canada2023
71Future2028
826England2017

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Famous People Named Madelyn

Madelyn Pugh
American TV writer
Madelyn Dunham
grandmother of U.S. President Barack Obama
Madelyn Clare
American silent film actress
Madelyn Fernstrom
American physician and journalist
Madelyn Vega
Puerto Rican journalist and attorney
Madelyn "Maddie" Deutch
American actress; daughter of actress Lea Thompson and director Howard Deutch; sister of actress Zoey Deutch
Madelyn Cline
American actress
Madelyn Kate "Mady" Gosselin
daughter of reality TV's Jon and Kate Gosselin
Madelyn Skyler Tee
daughter of actor Brian Tee & Mirelly Taylor
Madelyn Grace Sharp (b. 2011)
daughter of ice hockey player Patrick Sharp
Madelyn Christina Fitzgerald (b. 2013)
daughter of ice dancers Naomi Lang and Mark Fitzgerald