Madeline

Madeline belongs to the Magdalene name family, meaning “woman from Magdala.” Its older place-name connection is sometimes condensed to “high tower,” but the reference to a woman from Magdala is more direct. Madeleine is the familiar French form, while Madelyn is another English spelling.

Madeline has a particularly strong literary life. Ludwig Bemelmans’s books feature the adventurous schoolgirl Madeline, and the name also appears in works by Dickens, Keats, and Tennyson. Maddie offers a familiar everyday form. The ending is worth considering before choosing the name, because English speakers do not all pronounce Madeline the same way. A family’s preferred pronunciation is more useful than assuming the spelling settles the question; Madelyn may make an ending like “lin” clearer.