Magalene
Feminine
Magalene reads as Magdalene without its d. English rarely lets a g and a d stand side by side inside a word, and Magalene simply lets the d go, leaving three open syllables that run without a catch: MAG-a-leen.
How old is the name Magalene?
Magalene first appears in US birth records in 1912 — 113 years ago. The typical Magalene alive today was born around 1937, making them about 88 years old. About 200 people named Magalene are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Magalene most popular?
Magalene peaked in 1929, reaching #1642 nationally. See the whole 1929 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Magalene
Magalene takes one of the oldest names in the Christian world and makes it easier to say. The consonant pair at the heart of Magdalene is a rare thing in English, and speakers have long worn it down one way or another. Magalene wears it down by dropping the d, which leaves a name that runs smoothly from first syllable to last, with Maggie's sound at the front and the -lene of Arlene and Marlene at the end.
Meaningnot established
Not established
If Magalene is Magdalene respelled, it carries that name's meaning, 'the woman from Magdala', a town on the Sea of Galilee. If it was built from Maggie and a -lene ending, it has no meaning of its own. The record does not say which.
Pronouncing Magalene
MAG-uh-leen
Three syllables, stressed at the front. MAG-a-len, with a short last syllable, is also natural.
Nicknames for Magalene
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
- 1912
- Most girls named
- 192923 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1642reached in 1929
- Change vs 1960
- 0.0%5 in 1963, from 5
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.
Magalenes among us
people named Magalene are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Magalene sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Maggie and Lena are established short forms.
- Easier to say than Magdalene, with no consonant cluster in the middle.
- If it is Magdalene, it is rooted in one of the best-documented names in the Christian tradition.
- Many will assume a missing d and write Magdalene; expect to spell it.
- It is rarely given now and sounds of an earlier generation.
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Magalene
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Magalenes are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 200 people named Magalene are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Magalene in 2025?
- Magalene is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Magalene with classmates?
- Magalene will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More M names
The most-given names starting with M, all years combined.
Mary#125 · Margaret#112 · Michelle#465 · Melissa#419 · Maria#87 · Martha#712 · Marie#617 · Mildred#1962
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Magalene? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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