Madeline

Madeline is the traditional English spelling of the French female personal name Madeleine. In medieval France, Madeleine developed as another form of Magdalene, a name given to “Mary of Magdala” in order to distinguish her from the other Marys in the New Testament (i.e., the Virgin Mother and/or Mary, the sister of Martha). Mary Magdalene was from “Magdala,” a small village on the Sea of Galilee, from the Aramaic “Maghdela” meaning “tower.” In Luke 8:2, Mary of Magdala was one of the women called out as having been “healed of evil spirits and infirmities;” she later became an important part of Christ’s ministry and was one who had witnessed His resurrection. Nowhere in the Bible are we told that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, although later Church tradition held that to be true (to marginalize her importance as one of Jesus’s disciples). In any case, the French brought Madeleine to England after the Conquest of 1066 where it was adopted as “Maudelen” in Middle English, later evolving into Madeline. Another interesting factoid? The English vocabulary word “maudlin” meaning “tearful” was born from this name (in reference to Mary Magdalene’s depiction in art, often weeping as she repents for her sins). Given the importance of Mary Magdalene’s role in the New Testament, it’s no wonder the name has persisted among Westerners. Parents pay homage to this woman by naming their daughters Magdalena (Spanish); Magdalene, Marlene, Magda (German); Madeleine (French); Madeline (English) and several new respellings like Madelyn (largely considered American). Today Madeline is most popular in Canada, followed by the United States and England.