Madeleine
Girl name · 715 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Madeleine: 715 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 38 births in 2006.
Madeleine is the French form of Magdalene, ultimately from the town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, meaning "tower" in Aramaic. The name became widely known through Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus. Famous modern bearers include Madeleine Albright, the first female US Secretary of State, and Madeleine L'Engle, author of the classic children's novel *A Wrinkle in Time*. Princess Madeleine of Sweden also carries the name. The little French sponge cake called a madeleine, famously evoked by Marcel Proust in *In Search of Lost Time*, shares the same spelling but derives from the name of a 19th-century pastry chef—a delicious cultural association for a literary classic. Common variants include Madeline, Madelyn, and Magdalena.
Girl 52 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 200638 babies
- Latest (2025)
- #3878 babies
- Total births
- 715since 1974
- 5-year trend
- ▼ 9%vs prior 5y