Madalena
Feminine · “of Magdala”
Magdala was a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, and until recently it was a name in a book. Excavations that began in 2009 uncovered a first-century synagogue and a harbor there, so the place the Magdalene is named after is now a site you can walk around.
How old is the name Madalena?
Madalena first appears in US birth records in 1911 — 114 years ago. The typical Madalena alive today was born around 2001, making them about 24 years old. About 700 people named Madalena are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Madalena most popular?
Madalena peaked in 1911, reaching #2463 nationally. Today it ranks #6546, 4,083 places below that high. See the whole 1911 chart.
Where it comes from
From Magdala to Madalena
The story of Madalena
The Gospels identify one of the women who followed Jesus by her town rather than by a father or a husband, which is unusual and may indicate independent means. Magdala itself was a fishing and salting center; the excavations begun in 2009 found a synagogue, a market and a harbor, and the site is now open. The name traveled through Latin into every European language, and Portuguese reduced the medial g, a change that happened regularly in that language. Madalena is the standard Portuguese form and is also used in Spanish. Its best year in United States records is 1911.
Meaning
of Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee
Magdalene is a place adjective, not a personal name: Mary the Magdalene means Mary from Magdala. The town's Aramaic name is usually connected to a word for a tower. Portuguese and Spanish drop the g of Magdalena in this spelling, giving Madalena, which is the standard Portuguese form.
How the name formed
- Magdala
- Magdalene
- Magdalena
- Madalena
Related forms: Madalena · Magdalena · Magdalena · Magdalena · Madeleine
Pronouncing Madalena
mah-dah-LEH-nah
Four syllables with the stress on the third. Portuguese reduces the unstressed vowels considerably, giving something closer to mud-uh-LEH-nuh in speech.
Nicknames for Madalena
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1911
- Most girls named
- 201924 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2463reached in 1911
- Change vs 2023
- −15.0%17 in 2025, from 20
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Madalena in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Madalena in Portuguese — same name
- Magdalena in Spanish — same name
- Magdalena in German — same name
- Magdalena in Polish — same name
- Madeleine in French — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: Florida, California.
Madalenas among us
people named Madalena are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 94,545 born in 2025 was named Madalena
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Spellings of Madalena
- #6546
- Madalena on the 2025 chart
- #912
- counting every spelling
The SSA counts spellings, not names. Madalena went to 17 girls in 2025, but Maddalena is the same name said out loud. Together the 2 spellings went to 48, which makes it the 912th most-given girls’ name of the year — 5,634 places above the chart.
- Maddalena31
- Madalena17
About 1 girl in 33,485 born in 2025 was given one of these spellings — against 1 in 94,545 for Madalena itself.
Spellings are grouped by a fixed rule that folds interchangeable English spellings of one sound (ck/k, ph/f, x/ks, a non-initial y for i) and keeps vowels apart, so Sean and Shawn stay separate names. It errs towards splitting: a family here is never larger than the truth. SSA national data, 2025. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Madalena sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Madalena beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Madalena in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning, a real excavated town, and one of the most-depicted figures in Western art.
- Lena and Magda are two short forms from two different traditions.
- Recognized across Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Central Europe.
- Magdalena is the more common international spelling.
- Four syllables will be shortened in American use.
- The g is missing, which readers who know Magdalena will notice.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Madalena to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Madalena? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Madalena
Feminine · #6546 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Madalenas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Madalena are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How do you spell Madalena?
- Madalena is one of 2 recorded spellings. Maddalena is the more common one — 31 births in 2025 against 17 for Madalena.
- How popular is the name Madalena in 2025?
- Madalena ranks #6546 among US girl names in 2025, with 17 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Madalena?
- About 1 in every 94,545 US girls born in 2025 was named Madalena — 17 in all.
- Will my child share the name Madalena with classmates?
- Madalena will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Madalena
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Roseann#6546 · Solveig#6546 · Elona#6546 · Rosette#6546 · Bradie#6546 · Rida#6546 · Gwendalyn#6546 · Lorene#6546
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Madalena? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Madalena and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle