Madelyn is a girl's name that derives from a Hebrew word meaning "high tower." It evolved to the Greek name Magdalene and then the English version Madelyn. The name – or one of its many variations – has been held by many fascinating women throughout history.
The most famous Magdalene is Mary Magdalene – a saint and one of Jesus' companions. It is believed that Mary Magdalene was born in the ancient city of Magdala (now Migdal in Israel), so one interpretation of the name is "of Magdala."
Madelyn is just one of many offshoots of Magdalene. Madeline, an alternate spelling of the French Madeleine, was once the most popular spelling of the name in the U.S., though Madelyn has since outpaced it. (Madelyn has plenty of alternate spellings, too, the most popular being Madelynn and Madalyn.)
Other variations include Magda in Arabic and eastern European languages, Magdalena, Madalene, Madelene, Magdalen, and Magdaline. The French spelling, Madeleine, is also the name of a sweet, sponge-cake type dessert. Legend has it the pastry gets its name from an 18th century French woman and chef.
The name Madelyn is associated with many positive characteristics. One may think of Madeleine Albright's bravery, Princess Madeleine of Sweden's grace, or author Madeleine L'Engle's creativity and wit.
Since 1900, Madelyn has been in the most popular 1,000 names for baby girl. And since 2008, it has held a spot in the top 100. Its popularity among BabyCenter parents is similar.
Both Madeline and Madelyn have appeared in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 baby girl's names since 1900, but Madeline was more dominant for many years, even spending at least a decade in the top 100 names. It peaked at number 50 in 1998 and has since been on the decline.
Madelyn, meanwhile, started gaining popularity since the early 2000s – right about when Madeline started declining. It first broke into the top 100 names in 2008 and peaked at number 59 in 2015.
If the name's past is indicative of its future, then expect Madelyn to become one of the most popular girl's names in the U.S. within the next few decades.
