A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Magdaline since 1904
Babies named Magdaline per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1921, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Magdaline's real moment was 1913.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 36 |
| 1910s | 204 |
| 1920s | 296 |
| 1930s | 173 |
| 1940s | 112 |
| 1950s | 112 |
| 1960s | 118 |
| 1970s | 39 |
| 1980s | 45 |
| 1990s | 77 |
| 2000s | 91 |
| 2010s | 49 |
| 2020s | 22 |
Meaning & origin
Magdaline is a spelling variant of Magdalene that saw its peak use in 1913, when it was given to a small number of baby girls. The name has never entered the top 1000 in the U.S. Social Security data, and its recorded use began in 1904, the earliest year in the dataset for which this spelling appears. After a period of very low use, it has shown a slight rising trend since 2019, though it remains rare. The name's connection to Mary Magdalene gives it a biblical resonance, while its less common spelling sets it apart from the more familiar Madeline and Magdalena. Without any state-level concentration in the data, Magdaline remains a scattered choice, appealing to parents who appreciate its vintage feel and religious heritage.
Magdaline is a variant of Magdalene, derived from the Greek Magdalēnē, referring to Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus. The name ultimately comes from the Hebrew place name Migdal, meaning 'tower', referring to the town of Magdala. The spelling Magdaline emerged in the English-speaking world in the 19th century as a phonetic respelling, and it saw modest use in the early 1900s, particularly during the 1910s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Maggie, Magda, Lena, Mags
Sibling names for Magdaline
Names that share Magdaline's style, for a brother or sister.
