Fun Facts About the Name Madilyn
- More than 23 thousand babies named Madilyn: U.S. records list 23,620 babies given the name Madilyn from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Madilyn Mean?
Madilyn is an English spelling of the name Madeline (French Madeleine), and it shares that name's meaning: "woman from Magdala." The source is the Greek byname Magdalēnē, used in the New Testament for Mary of Magdala. It means "a person from Magdala," a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
The place name behind it is usually connected with Hebrew and Aramaic migdal, "tower." Taken literally, then, the personal name means "of Magdala," not "tower." The gloss "tower" or "elevated" is a later reading that carries the meaning of the place name over into the name of the person.
The -lyn ending of Madilyn is a separate English spelling element, not part of the Magdalene derivation. Names such as Carolyn, Marilyn, and Evelyn made that ending familiar for feminine names in English, and Madilyn attaches it to the Mad- of Madeline.
Madilyn Name History & Origins
The name enters Western use through Mary Magdalene. The Gospels call her Maria hē Magdalēnē, identifying her by her home town rather than by a family name. Latin Magdalena and its shortened forms spread the name through medieval Christian Europe. French developed Madeleine, which English took over both as Madeline and, in an older form, as Maudlin - the latter also becoming an ordinary English word describing a tearful person, from the traditional image of Mary Magdalene weeping.
Madilyn is a modern English respelling rather than a form inherited from French or Latin. Its own development belongs to English-speaking countries, above all the United States, where spellings ending in -lyn and -ilyn became common for girls' names over the twentieth century. It pairs the Mad- of Madeline with that -lyn ending, so its history is the history of a familiar name recast in a newer spelling pattern rather than the history of a distinct older name.
How Popular is the Name Madilyn?
Madilyn recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2008. Its best rank was #287 in 2012.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #464 | 662 | 0.0412% |
| 2024 | #420 | 739 | 0.0458% |
| 2023 | #360 | 847 | 0.0529% |
| 2022 | #332 | 971 | 0.0593% |
| 2021 | #319 | 1,019 | 0.0621% |
| 2020 | #326 | 948 | 0.0587% |
| 2019 | #318 | 1,005 | 0.0599% |
| 2018 | #328 | 989 | 0.0582% |
| 2017 | #338 | 950 | 0.0550% |
| 2016 | #327 | 1,005 | 0.0567% |
| 2015 | #316 | 1,028 | 0.0576% |
| 2014 | #303 | 1,078 | 0.0604% |
| 2013 | #341 | 947 | 0.0540% |
| 2012 | #287 | 1,100 | 0.0625% |
| 2011 | #300 | 1,057 | 0.0601% |
| 2010 | #332 | 967 | 0.0544% |
| 2009 | #290 | 1,146 | 0.0624% |
| 2008 | #288 | 1,169 | 0.0618% |
| 2007 | #383 | 860 | 0.0447% |
| 2006 | #435 | 732 | 0.0385% |
| 2005 | #499 | 610 | 0.0330% |
| 2004 | #504 | 584 | 0.0318% |
| 2003 | #533 | 530 | 0.0290% |
| 2002 | #568 | 466 | 0.0259% |
| 2001 | #575 | 446 | 0.0248% |
| 2000 | #642 | 391 | 0.0215% |
| 1999 | #783 | 282 | 0.0159% |
| 1998 | #803 | 265 | 0.0150% |
| 1997 | #1,069 | 178 | 0.0102% |
| 1996 | #1,267 | 138 | 0.0079% |
| 1995 | #1,488 | 107 | 0.0061% |
| 1994 | #1,921 | 74 | 0.0041% |
| 1993 | #2,623 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 1992 | #2,535 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 1991 | #3,593 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1990 | #4,799 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #3,969 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1988 | #5,217 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #4,991 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #6,003 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #10,088 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #10,575 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #9,950 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #8,291 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #6,672 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #5,698 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #6,373 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #5,892 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #4,178 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1949 | #5,024 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #3,150 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1945 | #3,296 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #4,156 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1939 | #3,644 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1938 | #3,704 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #4,662 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #4,827 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,275 | 7 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Madilyn
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with M
How the Name Madilyn Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Madilyn's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Madilyn's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.