Madeleine or Madeline has both biblical and Germanic origins. In the biblical tradition, the name is derived from Magdalena, referring to Mary Magdalene and ultimately to the Aramaic term "Magdala” meaning "tower" or "elevated, great.” Magdala was a town on the Sea of Galilee traditionally identified as the hometown of Mary Magdalene, a prominent figure in the New Testament and a follower of Jesus.
The name was adopted from Aramaic into Greek as Μαγδαληνή (Magdalēnē) and later into Latin as Magdalena. In Latin, it became more commonly used as a personal name, largely due to the association with Mary Magdalene, a revered saint in Christian tradition.
Volker Kohlheim suggests that medieval names were often Latinized and adapted as they passed between languages, and Madeleine (or Madeline) absorbed the Germanic name Madalinde
, which comes from mahal (“council, assembly”) and linþaz (“gentle, soft, mild”), giving a meaning of “gentle speaker in council.”
The name Madeleine is typically pronounced mah-DLEHN in French. In English it has several pronunciations: MAHD-uh-lihn or MAHD-uh-lein are the most common, with MAHD-uh-leen and MAHD-uh-lain (a much older version influenced by the French) heard occasionally. Pronunciations can vary based on region and preference.
Madelyn and Madalyn are alternative spellings. Diminutives include Maddy, Maddie, Madi, Mado, and Lena, Leni.
Contents
People named Madeleine
Madeleine of Valois (1520–1537), French princess who was briefly Queen consort of Scotland through her marriage to James V of Scotland
Madeleine Albright (1937–2022), American politician and the first woman United States Secretary of State
Madeleine Astor (1893–1940), American socialite, second wife and widow of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and a survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster
Madeleine Atlas (born 1968), Swedish politician
Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779–1865), French Catholic saint and founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart
Madelaine Bavent (1602–1652), French nun accused and convicted of witchcraft
Madeleine Béjart (1618–1672), French actress and theatre director
Madeleine Brès (1842–1921), first French woman to obtain a medical degree
Madeleine Boll (born 1953), Swiss footballer
Madeleine Boullogne (1646–1710), French Baroque still life painter
Madeleine Duncan Brown (1925–2002), alleged mistress of president Lyndon B. Johnson
Madeleine Carroll (1906–1987), English actress
Madeleine Chenette, Canadian politician
Madeleine Cho, Korean saint
People named Madeline
Madeline Argy (born 2000), English influencer
Madeline Bell (born 1942), American soul singer
Madeline McDowell Breckinridge (1872–1920), American women's suffragette leader and reformer
Madeline Brewer (born 1992), American actress
Madeline Carroll (born 1996), American actress
Madeline Duggan (born 1994), English actress
Madeline Early (1912–2001), American mathematician and university professor
Madeline Fairbanks (1900–1989), American actress
Madeline Gravante (born 1999), American soccer player
Madeline Ivalu, Canadian filmmaker and actress
Madeline Juno (born 1995), German singer-songwriter
Madeline Kahn (1942–1999), American actress, comedian and singer
Madeline Kripke (1943–2020), American book collector
Madeline Lewellin (1854–1944), Australian artist
Madeline Manning (born 1948), American track and field runner
Madeline Martin, American author
Madeline Mitchell (born 1989), American beauty pageant contestant
Fictional characters
Madeline Fabray, love interest in book series North and South by John Lakes and 1980s television mini series based on the book, played by Lesley-Anne Down
Madeline, heroine of the book series of the same name by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeleine, a ragdoll in the British stopmotion children's series Bagpuss
Monsieur Madeleine, an alias used by Jean Valjean in the novel Les Misérables
Madeline (Celeste), protagonist of the 2018 video game Celeste
Madeline, in the 2024 film Tarot
Madeline "Mad" Ashton, central character of the 1992 black comedy film Death Becomes Her
Madeline Bassett, a recurring character in the Jeeves stories of P. G. Wodehouse
Madeline Bray, the wife of Nicholas Nickleby in the novel of that name by Charles Dickens
Madeleine Cahill, in The 39 Clues novel series
Madeleine Elster, the mysterious central character in the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo
Madeline "Maddie" Fenton, the mother of the titular character of the American animated series Danny Phantom
Maddy Ferguson, in the television series Twin Peaks
Maddie Fitzpatrick (Madeline), in Disney's TV series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody