UK girl's name
Maddeline
A feminine name of French origin meaning "woman from the elevated estate".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Maddeline is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Maddeline popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5876, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2009 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Maddeline. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2013 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Maddeline ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 4 girls were registered as Maddeline.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Maddeline as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5876
2012
Births in 2012
3
Latest year
Peak year
2009
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Maddeline mean?
The name Maddeline has its origins in the late Latin name Magdalena, which is derived from the Biblical name Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The name Magdalene is believed to come from the Hebrew words "migdal" meaning "tower" and "eder" meaning "flock," referring to Mary's hometown of Magdala, a city on the Sea of Galilee.
The name Maddeline first appeared in its modern spelling in France during the Middle Ages, where it was a popular name among the nobility. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Maddeline of Valois, a French princess born in 1443. Maddeline was also the name of a 12th-century saint from France, Saint Maddeline of Verdun, who was known for her charitable works.
In literature, one of the most famous Maddelines is the character of Maddeline in the children's book series "Maddeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans, first published in 1939. The books follow the adventures of a young Parisian girl named Maddeline who lives in a boarding school in Paris.
Throughout history, there have been several notable women named Maddeline. One was Maddeline de Scudéry, a 17th-century French novelist and playwright born in 1607, who was a prominent figure in the literary salons of Paris. Another was Maddeline Albright, the first woman to become the United States Secretary of State, who was born in 1937.
In the world of aviation, Maddeline Soucek was a famous early female pilot from the United States, born in 1899. She was the first woman to earn an air transport rating and the first woman to fly across the continental United States. Maddeline L'Engle, born in 1918, was an American writer best known for her young adult novel "A Wrinkle in Time," which won the Newbery Medal in 1963.
Maddeline Kahn, born in 1942, was an American actress and singer who was nominated for two Academy Awards for her supporting roles in the films "Paper Moon" and "Blazing Saddles." Her comedic talents and versatility made her a celebrated performer on stage and screen.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Maddeline over time
The chart below shows babies named Maddeline registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2009 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Maddeline, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maddeline by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Maddeline was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5876 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4564 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Maddeline
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Maddeline: questions and answers
How popular is the name Maddeline in the UK right now?
In 2012, Maddeline was ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Maddeline most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 4 babies registered as Maddeline in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Maddeline?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "woman from the elevated estate".
How many people are called Maddeline in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Maddeline across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.