Madeleine or Madeline is a feminine given name, ultimately of Greek origin. The name exists in various spellings and pronunciations and is popular among those living in Europe and English-speakers, as well as followers of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
, as
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and
resurre ...
was a central figure in the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...
.
Madeleine is a modern rendering, found in English and French, of the Greek epithet Μαγδαληνὴ (''Magdalene'', "from
Magdala
Magdala (Aramaic: מגדלא, ''Magdala'', meaning "tower"; Hebrew: , ''Migdal''; ar, المجدل, ''al-Majdal'') was an ancient Jewish city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Tiberias. In the Babylonian Talmud it is known as Magda ...
"). It arose as a name due to its association with the
Biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of ...
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and
resurre ...
. It has a secondary meaning from German of "little girl" (''Mädelein'').
Pronunciation depends on the language and the country. In France, the name is pronounced /ma.dlɛn/ and the two most popular pronunciations in English are /ˈmædələn/ (American English) and /ˈmadlɪn/ (British English).
Madelyn/Madalyn is an alternative spelling. Diminutives include Maddy/Maddie, Maddi and
Leine
The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long.
The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriv ...
.
People named Madeleine
* Madeleine of Valois (1520–1537), French Princess who was briefly Queen consort of Scotland through her marriage to James V of Scotland
*
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democrat ...
(1937–2022), American politician and the first woman to become the United States Secretary of State
* Madeleine Astor (1893–1940), second wife and widow of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and a survivor of the RMS ''Titanic'' disaster
* Madeleine Béjart (1618–1672), French actor and theatre director
* Madeleine Brès (1842–1921), the first French woman to obtain a medical degree
* Madeleine Carroll (1906–1987), English actress
* Madeleine Damerment (1917–1944), French Resistance member
* Madeleine Dean (born 1959), American politician
* Madeleine de Roybon d'Allonne (1646–1718), early settler of New France
*
Madeleine Eastoe
Madeleine Eastoe is an Australian retired ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer at The Australian Ballet.
Biography
Eastoe started ballet at age six, in Perth, Australia. In 1994, Eastoe moved to Melbourne to study at the Australian Ballet S ...
, Australian ballet dancer
* Madeline Ivalu, Canadian Inuk filmmaker and actor
* Madeline Kripke (1943–2020), American book collector
* Madeleine Kunin (born 1933), American politician and the first woman to become the Governor of Vermont
* Madeleine Lartessuti (1478–1543), French shipper and banker
*
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle DStJ (; November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was an American writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young adult fiction, including '' A Wrinkle in Time'' and its sequels: ''A Wind in the Door'', ''A Swiftly Tilting Plan ...
(1918–2007), American writer; author of the ''Wrinkle in Time'' series
* Madeleine Mantock (born 1990), British actress
* Madeleine McCann (born 2003), British girl who disappeared while on vacation in Portugal in May 2007
*
Madeleine Mitchell
Madeleine Louise Mitchell MMus, ARCM, GRSM, FRSA is a British violinist who has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in over forty countries.Madeleine Peyroux (born 1973), American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist
* Madeleine de Puisieux (1720–1798), French philosopher and feminist writer
*
Madeleine Smith
Madeleine Hamilton Smith (29 March 1835 – 12 April 1928) was a 19th-century Glasgow socialite who was the accused in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857.
Background
Smith was the first child (of five) of an upper-middle-class ...
Madeline Carroll
Madeline Carroll (born March 18, 1996) is an American actress known for starring as Juli Baker in '' Flipped'', as Molly Johnson in ''Swing Vote'', as Farren in ''The Spy Next Door'', and as Willow O'Neil in ''The Magic of Belle Isle''.
Early ...
Madeline Juno
Madeline Obrigewitsch (born 11 August 1995), better known by her stage name Madeline Juno, is a German singer-songwriter. She released her first single "Error" in November 2013.
Early life
Madeline Juno was born on 11 August 1995. Her father i ...
(born 1995), German singer-songwriter
*
Madeline Kahn
Madeline Gail Kahn (''née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), ' ...
(1942–1999), American actress, comedian and singer
* Madeline Lewellin (1854–1944), Australian artist
* Madeline Manning (born 1948), American track and field runner
*
Madeline Mitchell
Madeline Mitchell Gwin (née Mitchell; born May 17, 1989) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Russellville, Alabama. She won the title of Miss Alabama USA 2011 and competed in the Miss USA 2011 competition, where she finished as the se ...
(born 1989), American beauty pageant contestant
*
Madeline Perry
Madeline Perry (born 11 February 1977 in Banbridge, Northern Ireland) is a former professional squash player from Northern Ireland. She was raised in Northern Ireland and lives in Philadelphia.
In November 2006 at the World Open in Belfast, s ...
(born 1977), professional squash player from Northern Ireland
* Madeline Smith (born 1949), English actress and comedian
* Madeline Zima (born 1985), American actress
Fictional characters
*
Madeline
''Madeline'' is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian-American author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series ...
, heroine of the book series of the same name by Ludwig Bemelmans
*Monsieur Madeleine, an alias used by
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...
in the novel ''Les Misérables''
* Madeline Bassett, a recurring character in the Jeeves stories of P. G. Wodehouse
*Madeline Bray, the wife of Nicholas Nickleby in the novel of that name by Charles Dickens
*Madeleine Cahill, in '' The 39 Clues'' novel series
*Madeleine Elster, the mysterious central character in Hitchcock's film, ''Vertigo''
* Maddie Fitzpatrick (Madeline), in Disney's TV series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''
*Madeleine Gotto, from the Canadian children's animated television series '' Mona the Vampire''
*Madeleine Gravis, from Charlie Kauffman's film, ''
Synecdoche, New York
''Synecdoche, New York'' (pronounced ) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ailing theater director who works on an incr ...
''
*Madeleine Hanna, the heroine of Jeffrey Eugenides' 2011 book ''
The Marriage Plot
''The Marriage Plot'' is a 2011 novel by the American writer, Jeffrey Eugenides. The novel grew out of a manuscript that Eugenides began after the publication of his sophomore Pulitizer Prize-winning novel, ''Middlesex.'' Eugenides has stated th ...
''
*Madeline Hatter, daughter of the Mad Hatter in the Mattel doll franchise Ever After High
*Madeline "Mads" Ryback, in the television show '' The Lying Game''
*Dr.
Madeleine Swann
Madeleine Swann is a character in the James Bond films ''Spectre'' (2015) and ''No Time to Die'' (2021), played by actress Léa Seydoux. She is the only film character to have a child with Bond.
Character biography
Madeline Swann is the daughte ...
, love interest in the 2015 James Bond film ''Spectre''
*Madeline Wayne, title character of '' Oh Madeline'', an American sitcom that lasted one season (1983–84)
*Madeline Usher, the twin sister of Roderick Usher in the short story " The Fall of the House of Usher" by
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...