UK girl's name
Madelaine
A feminine name of French origin meaning "from the high tower".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Madelaine is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Madelaine popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 114 births.
This profile covers 1,080 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 3% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,096 living people in the UK are called Madelaine. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Madelaine ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 114 girls were registered as Madelaine.
- • Madelaine ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #606 in 2006.
- • About 1,096 living people in the UK are estimated to have Madelaine as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2002
114 births
Estimated living
1,096
2026
Meaning
What does Madelaine mean?
The name Madelaine is a French variation of the name Madeline, which has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages. It is derived from the root word "mathalwina," meaning "woman from Magdeburg." Magdeburg was a town in what is now Germany, and the name likely referred to a woman who came from or was associated with that area.
Madelaine's roots can be traced back to the 8th century, when it first appeared in written records. It was a popular name among the Frankish nobility during the Carolingian dynasty, which ruled large parts of Europe from the 8th to the 10th centuries.
In the Christian tradition, the name Madelaine is associated with Mary Magdalene, one of the most prominent female disciples of Jesus Christ. This connection may have contributed to the name's popularity among Christians in medieval Europe.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Madelaine was Madelaine de Vergiès (c. 1190-1241), a French noblewoman and crusader. She was one of the few women who participated in the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France.
In the 16th century, Madelaine de Souvré (1599-1632) was a French courtier and mistress of King Louis XIII. She was known for her beauty and intelligence, and her influence over the King was a source of political intrigue at the French court.
During the Renaissance, the name Madelaine was also associated with the arts. Madelaine Cavalier (c. 1520-1572) was a French poet and member of the famous literary circle known as the Pléiade, which included writers like Pierre de Ronsard and Joachim du Bellay.
In the 19th century, Madelaine Lemaire (1845-1923) was a French novelist and playwright who wrote under the pen name Madeleine Lemarié. Her works explored themes of love, passion, and the role of women in society.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Madelaine was Madelaine Albright (1937-2022), the first woman to serve as the United States Secretary of State. Born in Czechoslovakia, she was a prominent figure in American politics and diplomacy during the latter half of the 20th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Madelaine over time
The chart below shows babies named Madelaine registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Madelaine, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 114 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madelaine by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Madelaine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5581 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #2982 | 110 | 10 |
| 2000s | #616 | 696 | 10 |
| 1990s | #452 | 271 | 4 |
Geography
Where Madelaine is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Madelaine. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Madelaine ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #606 in 2006.
Across the UK
Madelaine in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#606 in 2006
6 years of NRS records, 23 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Madelaine
-
Madelaine Smith
skeleton racer
British skeleton racer
1995-
-
Madelaine Duke
physician; writer
UK author (1919-1996), born in Chernivtsi (modern-day Ukraine, then Czernowitz/Austro-Hungarian Empire) of Austrian parents, active under several pseudonyms in a variety of genres including science fiction novels
1919-1996
-
Madelaine Newton
actor
British actress
Related
Names similar to Madelaine
- 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
Madelaine: questions and answers
How popular is the name Madelaine in the UK right now?
In 2021, Madelaine was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Madelaine most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 114 babies registered as Madelaine in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Madelaine?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "from the high tower".
How many people are called Madelaine in the UK?
A total of 1,080 babies have been registered as Madelaine across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 23 more in Scotland.
Where is Madelaine most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Madelaine ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #606 in 2006. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.