Madeleine or Madeline has biblical origins. The name Magdalena is derived from the Aramaic term "Magdala" (מגדלא), meaning "tower" or "elevated, great." It refers to the town of

Magdala Magdala (; ; ) was an ancient Jews, Jewish city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Tiberias. In the Babylonian Talmud it is known as Magdala Nunayya (), and which some historical geographers think may refer to Tarichaea (). It is belie ...

on the Sea of Galilee, traditionally identified as the hometown of Mary Magdalene (Mary of Magdala), a prominent figure in the New Testament who was a follower of Jesus. The name also stems from the German word Mädelein (derived from

Old High German Old High German (OHG; ) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally identified as the period from around 500/750 to 1050. Rather than representing a single supra-regional form of German, Old High German encompasses the numerous ...

magad + diminutive -lein) meaning “girl” or “young maiden”. Thus, Madeleine can be interpreted both as “woman from Magdala” and as a term of affection for a girl. The name was adopted from Aramaic into Greek as Μαγδαληνή (Magdalēnē) and later into Latin as Magdalena. In Latin, it became more commonly used as a personal name, largely due to the association with Mary Magdalene, a revered saint in Christian tradition. As Christianity spread across Europe, the name evolved into various forms in different languages. In Spanish, Polish, German, and other European cultures, Magdalena became a popular name, often linked with purity and devotion because of its connection to the saint. Madeline and Madeleine are modern English and French versions of the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

name Μαγδαληνή (Magdalenē), meaning “from Magdala,” and the German word Mädelein, meaning “girl.” The name Madeleine is typically pronounced mah-DLEHN in French. In English it has several pronunciations: MAHD-uh-lihn or MAHD-uh-lein are the most common, with MAHD-uh-leen and MAHD-uh-lain (a much older version influenced by the French) heard occasionally. Pronunciations can vary based on region and preference. Madelyn and Madalyn are alternative spellings. Diminutives include Maddy, Maddie, Madi, and

Lena Lena or LENA may refer to: Places * Léna Department, a department of Houet Province in Burkina Faso * Lena, Manitoba, an unincorporated community located in Killarney-Turtle Mountain municipality in Manitoba, Canada * Lena, Norway, a village in ...

Leni Leni may refer to: * Leni (name) Leni is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name Male and female: * Leni Alexander (1924–2005), Chilean composer * Leni Apisai (born 1996), New Zealand rugby union player ...

People named Madeleine

Madeleine of Valois Madeleine of Valois (10 August 1520 – 7 July 1537) was a French princess who briefly became Queen of Scotland in 1537 as the first wife of King James V. The marriage was arranged in accordance with the Treaty of Rouen, and they were marrie ...

(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 Körbelová, later Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political science, political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, United S ...

(1937–2022), American politician and the first woman United States Secretary of State *

Madeleine Astor Madeleine Talmage Dick (''née'' Force; previously Astor, later Fiermonte; June 19, 1893 – March 27, 1940) was an American socialite and a survivor of the sinking of the . She was the second wife and widow of businessman John Jacob Astor IV. ...

(1893–1940), American socialite, second wife and widow of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and a survivor of the RMS ''Titanic'' disaster *

Madeleine Sophie Barat Madeleine Sophie Barat, RSCJ, (12 December 1779 – 25 May 1865), is a French saint of the Catholic Church who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, a worldwide religious institute of educators. Early life and family Barat was born on the nig ...

(1779–1865), French Catholic saint and founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart *

Madeleine Béjart Madeleine Béjart (; 8 January 1618 – 17 February 1672), was a French actress and theatre director, one of the most famous French stage actors of the 17th-century. She was the co-founder of the Illustre Théâtre. Life She belonged to the B� ...

(1618–1672), French actor and theatre director * Madeleine Brès (1842–1921), first French woman to obtain a medical degree *

Madeleine Boll Madeleine Boll (born 8 July 1953) is a Swiss former Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder for FC Sion, Sion. She represented the Switzerland women's national football team, Switzerland national team. Biography Boll intere ...

(born 1953), Swiss footballer * Madeleine Boullogne (1646–1710), French Baroque still life painter *

Madeleine Carroll Marie-Madeleine Bernadette O'Carroll (26 February 1906 – 2 October 1987) was an English actress, popular both in Britain and in America in the 1930s and 1940s. At the peak of her success in 1938, she was the world's highest-paid actress. Ca ...

(1906–1987), English actress *

Madeleine Chenette Madeleine Chenette is a Canadian politician from the Liberal Party of Canada. She was elected Member of Parliament for Thérèse-De Blainville in the 2025 Canadian federal election. Chenette has had a career in the public and private sectors. ...

, Canadian politician *

Madeleine Damerment Madeleine Zoe Damerment (11 November 1917 – 13 September 1944) was a French agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, ...

(1917–1944), French Resistance member *

Madeleine Dassault Madeleine Dassault (; née Minckès; 28 April 1901 - 12 July 1992) was a French industrialist. She was married to the business magnate Marcel Dassault and helped him finance his early business ventures. During World War II, she was captured by t ...

(1901–1992), French industrialist *

Madeleine Dean Madeleine Dean Cunnane (born June 6, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district since 2019. The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Mont ...

(born 1959), American politician *

Madeleine Herman de Blic Madeleine Herman de Blic (15 May 1934 – 14 March 2024) was a Belgian-born Indian social worker and humanist, known for her humanitarian services in the south Indian state of Puducherry. She is the founder of ''Volontariat'', a Puducherry-based ...

, Belgian-born Indian social worker and humanist *

Madeleine de Roybon d'Allonne Madeleine de Roybon d'Allonne (1646, Montargis – 17 January 1718, Montréal) was an early settler of New France. She was the first European woman to own land in Ontario. There is a memorial plaque in her honour located in Lennox and Addington ...

(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 *

Madeleine Eggendorffer Madeleine Eggendorffer (born probably 30 June 1744 in Fribourg, Switzerland – died on 27 September 1795 in Fribourg), was a Swiss bookseller, publisher and businesswoman. Biography Marie-Madeleine de Boffe and her brother Joseph were born to ...

, Swiss bookseller, publisher and businesswoman *

Madeleine Juneau Sister Madeleine Juneau, , (10 November 1945 – 26 June 2020) was a Canadian museologist and teacher. A Roman Catholic nun, she was a member of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal. Juneau was the recipient of the Medal of the Quebec Natio ...

(1945–2020), Canadian museologist, teacher, nun *

Madeleine Kunin Madeleine Kunin (née May; born September 28, 1933) is a Swiss-born American diplomat, author and politician. She served as the 77th governor of Vermont from 1985 until 1991, as a member of the Democratic Party. She also served as United Stat ...

(born 1933), American politician and first woman governor of Vermont * Madeleine Lartessuti (1478–1543), French shipper and banker *

Madeleine L'Engle Madeleine L'Engle (; 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 Planet'' ...

(1918–2007), American writer; author of the ''Wrinkle in Time'' series *Madeleine Lipszyc (known as Magdalith, 1932–2013), French painter, singer, composer, author and liturgist *

Madeleine Martin Madeleine Martin (born April 15, 1993) is an American actress, known for voicing JoJo Tickle, the title character on the Playhouse Disney children's animated TV series '' JoJo's Circus'' and Fionna Campbell in the Cartoon Network series ''Adve ...

(born 1993), American actress * Madeleine Mantock (born 1990), British actress *

Madeleine McCann Madeleine Beth McCann (born 12 May 2003) is a British missing person, who at the age of 3 disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Lagos, Portugal, Lagos, Portugal, on the evening of 3 May 2007. ''The Daily Telegraph'' ...

(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 Madeleine Peyroux (born April 19, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...

(born 1973), American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist *

Madeleine de Puisieux Madeleine d'Arsant de Puisieux (12 April 1720 – 28 November 1798) was a French writer and feminist. Life Madeleine de Puisieux, was born in Paris on 28 November 1720. Although not much is known about her early life, Puisieux worked to beco ...

(1720–1798), French philosopher and feminist writer * Madeleine Rolland (1872–1960), French translator and peace activist *

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 ...

(1835–1928), Scottish socialite tried for murder *

Madeleine Stowe Madeleine Stowe (born August 18, 1958) is an American actress. She appeared mostly on television before her role in the 1987 crime-comedy film '' Stakeout''. She went on to star in the films ''Revenge'' (1990), ''Unlawful Entry'' (1992), ''The L ...

(born 1958), American actress *

Madeleine Vionnet Madeleine Vionnet (; June 22, 1876, Loiret, France – March 2, 1975) was a French fashion designer best known for being the "pioneer of the bias cut dress". Vionnet trained in London before returning to France to establish her first fashion hou ...

(1876–1975), French fashion designer who was the first to cut dresses on the bias * Madeleine Worrall (born 1977), Scottish actress *

Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine; born 10 June 1982) is the second daughter and youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Upon her birth, she was third ...

(born 1982), seventh in line to the Swedish throne

People named Madeline

* Madeline Argy (born 2000), English influencer *

Madeline Bell Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from the United States in the gospel show '' Black Nativity'' in 1962 ...

(born 1942), American soul singer *

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge Madeline (Madge) McDowell Breckinridge (May 20, 1872 – November 25, 1920) was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement in Kentucky. She married Desha Breckinridge, editor of the ''Lexington Herald'', which advocated women's rights, ...

(1872–1920), American women's suffragette leader and reformer *

Madeline Brewer Madeline Kathryn Brewer (born May 1, 1992) is an American actress. She is known for recurring roles in the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013) and '' Hemlock Grove'' (2014–2015), and for her starring roles as Janine Lindo in the ...

(born 1992), American actress *

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''. Earl ...

(born 1996), American actress *

Madeline Duggan Madeline Duggan (born 28 June 1994) is a British actress, known for her portrayal of Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2006 to 2010. Career In 2003, Duggan portrayed the role of Little Cosette in a production of ''Les Mi ...

(born 1994), English actress * Madeline Early (1912–2001), American mathematician and university professor *

Madeline Fairbanks Madeline (Madeleine) (November 15, 1900 – January 15, 1989) and her twin sister Marion Fairbanks (November 15, 1900 – September 20, 1973) were American stage and motion picture actresses active in the silent era. Early life Born in New Yor ...

(1900–1989), American actress *

Madeline Ivalu Madeline Piujuq Ivalu is a Canadian Inuit, Inuk filmmaker and actor from Igloolik, Nunavut. One of the cofounders of Arnait Video Productions, a women's video and filmmaking collective in Nunavut, she co-directed, co-wrote and starred in Arnait's ...

, Canadian filmmaker and actress *

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 ...

(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. She was known for her comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc ...

(1942–1999), American actress, comedian and singer *

Madeline Kripke Madeline Faith Kripke (September 9, 1943 – April 25, 2020) was an American book collector who held one of the world's largest collections of dictionaries. Early life and education Madeline Kripke was born on September 9, 1943, in New Lo ...

(1943–2020), American book collector * Madeline Lewellin (1854–1944), Australian artist *

Madeline Manning Madeline Manning Mims (born January 11, 1948) is a former American runner and Olympic champion. Between 1967 and 1981 she won ten national titles and set a number of American records. She participated in the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Summer Olympics ...

(born 1948), American track and field runner * Madeline Mitchell (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 ...

(born 1977), professional squash player from Northern Ireland * Madeline Sharafian (born 1993), American-Armenian film director, screenwriter, and storyboard artist *

Madeline Smith Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949) is an English actress. After working as a model in the late 1960s, she went on to appear in many television series and stage productions, as well as comedy and horror films, in the 1970s and 1980s. Smith pla ...

(born 1949), English actress and comedian * Madeline Stratton Morris (1906–2007), American educator *

Madeline Zima Madeline Rose Zima (born September 16, 1985) is an American actress. She portrayed Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999), Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series '' Californication'' (2007–2011), and Gretchen B ...

(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. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature fi ...

, 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 (''Celeste''), protagonist of the 2018 video game ''Celeste'' *Madeline, in the 2024 film ''

Tarot Tarot (, first known as ''trionfi (cards), trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a set of playing cards used in tarot games and in fortune-telling or divination. From at least the mid-15th century, the tarot was used to play t ...

'' *Madeline "Mad" Ashton, central character of the 1992 black comedy film ''

Death becomes her ''Death Becomes Her'' is a 1992 American satirical surrealistic black comedy fantasy film directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis and written by David Koepp and Martin Donovan. The film stars Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis, a ...

'' * Madeline Bassett, a recurring character in the Jeeves stories of P. G. Wodehouse *Madeline Bray, the wife of

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'', or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'', is the third novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839. The character of Nickleby is a young man who must support his ...

in the novel of that name by Charles Dickens *Madeleine Cahill, in ''

The 39 Clues ''The 39 Clues'' is a series of adventure novels written by a collaboration of authors, including Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Roland Smith, David Baldac ...

'' novel series *Madeleine Elster, the mysterious central character in the Alfred Hitchcock film ''Vertigo'' *Madeline "Maddie" Fenton, the mother of the titular character of the American animated series ''

Danny Phantom ''Danny Phantom'' is an American animated paranormal superhero action adventure television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. It premiered on April 3, 2004, immediately after the 2004 Kids' Choice Awards, and concluded on August ...

'' *

Maddy Ferguson Madeleine "Maddy" Ferguson is a fictional character in the ''Twin Peaks'' franchise. She was created by the series creators David Lynch and Mark Frost and portrayed by Sheryl Lee. Introduced in the fourth episode of the first season, Maddy is ...

, in the television series ''Twin Peaks'' *

Maddie Fitzpatrick ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is an American teen sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series aired on Disney Channel from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. The series was nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for ...

(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 ''Mona the Vampire'' is an animated children's television series based on the children's book of the same name written and illustrated by Sonia Holleyman (itself adapted to the novel series, itself illustrated by Holleyman and written by Hia ...

'' *Madeleine Gravis, from Charlie Kauffman's film ''

Synecdoche, New York ''Synecdoche, New York'' ( ) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Caden Cotard, a theater director whose attempt to ...

'' *Madeleine Hanna, the heroine of Jeffrey Eugenides' 2011 book '' The Marriage Plot'' *Madeline Hatter, daughter of the Mad Hatter in the Mattel doll franchise

Ever After High ''Ever After High'' is a fashion doll franchise released by Mattel in July 2013. It is a companion line to the '' Monster High'' dolls, with the characters being based upon characters from well-known fairy tales and fantasy stories instead of ...

*Maddy (Madeleine) Perez, in the television series ''

Euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...

'' *Madeline "Mads" Ryback, in the television show ''

The Lying Game ''The Lying Game'' is an American teen drama mystery television series developed by Charles Pratt Jr. It premiered on ABC Family on August 15, 2011, and ended on March 12, 2013. The series was produced by Pratt Enterprises, Alloy Entertainmen ...

'' *Dr.

Madeleine Swann Madeleine Swann is a Bond girl, character in the James Bond films ''Spectre (2015 film), Spectre'' (2015) and ''No Time to Die'' (2021), played by actress Léa Seydoux. She is one of only two Bond girls to appear in two films and first in the film ...

, love interest in the 2015 James Bond film ''Spectre'' *Madeline Usher, the twin sister of Roderick Usher in the short story "

The Fall of the House of Usher "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in ''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine'', then included in the collection ''Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque'' in 1840. The short stor ...

" by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

*Madeline Wayne, title character of ''

Oh Madeline ''Oh Madeline'' is an American sitcom television series starring Madeline Kahn that aired on ABC from September 27, 1983 to March 13, 1984. It was based on the British sitcom ''Pig in the Middle'' that aired on ITV from 1980 until 1983. Overv ...

'', an American sitcom that lasted one season (1983–84) *

Madeline Westen This is a list of fictional characters in the television series '' Burn Notice''. The article deals with the series' main and recurring characters. Main characters Michael Westen Michael Westen played by Jeffrey Donovan is a burned spy w ...

, in the television series ''Burn Notice''

Notes

{{given name English feminine given names English-language feminine given names Feminine given names French feminine given names