UK girl's name
Madelene
A feminine name of French origin meaning "woman from the high tower".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Madelene is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Madelene popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5707, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 9 births.
This profile covers 64 England and Wales registrations across 11 recorded years from 1997 to 2010. 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 64 living people in the UK are called Madelene. 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 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Madelene ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales in 2010, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 9 girls were registered as Madelene.
- • About 64 living people in the UK are estimated to have Madelene as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5707
2010
Births in 2010
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
9 births
Estimated living
64
2026
Meaning
What does Madelene mean?
The name Madelene is a feminine given name derived from the Biblical name Magdalene, which is the Latinized form of the Hebrew name Migdal, meaning "tower" or "elevated". It originated in ancient Judea during the 1st century AD and was borne by the famous Mary Magdalene, who was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
The name Madelene gained popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly in France and England. It was a common name among the nobility and upper classes, with notable bearers including Madelene of Valois (1443-1498), a French princess who was the daughter of King Charles VII.
In the 16th century, the name Madelene was brought to the Americas by French and English settlers. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the New World was Madelene LeMoyne (1608-1665), a French colonist who settled in Quebec, Canada.
The name Madelene has been borne by several notable figures throughout history, including Madelene de Scudéry (1607-1701), a French novelist and salonnière known for her literary works and intellectual gatherings. Another famous bearer was Madelene de Verchères (1678-1747), a French-Canadian heroine who defended her family's fort against an Iroquois attack at the age of 14.
In the 19th century, Madelene Albright (1804-1883) was a German-American educator and writer who founded the Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. Another notable Madelene from this period was Madelene Brès (1842-1921), a French painter and sculptor known for her portraits and allegorical works.
In more recent times, Madelene Kunin (born 1933) was the first female governor of Vermont, serving from 1985 to 1991. Madelene L'Engle (1918-2007) was an American writer best known for her classic children's novel "A Wrinkle in Time", which won the Newbery Medal in 1963.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Madelene over time
The chart below shows babies named Madelene registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Madelene, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2010, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madelene by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Madelene 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 | #5707 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #2698 | 47 | 7 |
| 1990s | #2888 | 14 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Madelene
- 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
Madelene: questions and answers
How popular is the name Madelene in the UK right now?
In 2010, Madelene was ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Madelene most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 9 babies registered as Madelene in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Madelene?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "woman from the high tower".
How many people are called Madelene in the UK?
A total of 64 babies have been registered as Madelene across the 11 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.