The first name Magdalene
A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “woman from magdala”, “mary of magdala”, “tower”.
Pronounced /ˈmæɡdəlin/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Magdalene means “woman from magdala”, “mary of magdala”, “tower” in Hebrew.
From Ancient Greek Μαγδαληνή (Magdalēnḗ, “woman from Magdala”), byname of the biblical Mary Magdalene, "Mary of Magdala", from Μαγδαλά (Magdalá), the name of a village on Lake Galilee (the name of which derives from Hebrew מגדל (migdál, “tower”)). Generic use comes from the traditional association of Mary Magdalene with the "woman which was a sinner" mentioned in Luke 7:37. Doublet of Madeleine, Magdalen, Magdalena, and Maudlin.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Magdalene, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2014, with 10 births (#2,464).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Magdalene with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Magdalene at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 165 girls born in the United States were named Magdalene, the 1,345th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1923, when 199 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Magdalene in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Magdalene in Danish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Magdalene
7 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Magdalene ThoresenDanish-born Norwegian writer, 1819–1903
- Magdalene Sibylle of Saxe-WeissenfelsDuchess of Saxe-Weissenfels by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Eisenach, (1673-1726)
- Magdalene of LippeCountess of Lippe by birth, and by marriage Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1552–1587
- Auguste Magdalene of Hessen-DarmstadtGerman noble and poet, 1657–1674
- Marlene DietrichGerman and American actress and singer (1901–1992)
- Magdalena of Waldeck-WildungenCountess of Hanau-Münzenberg, later Countess of Nassau-Siegen, 1558–1599
- Magdalena Sibylla of NeidschutzGerman countess (1675-1694)
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Magdalene mean?
- Magdalene means “woman from magdala”, “mary of magdala”, “tower” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Magdalene?
- From Ancient Greek Μαγδαληνή (Magdalēnḗ, “woman from Magdala”), byname of the biblical Mary Magdalene, "Mary of Magdala", from Μαγδαλά (Magdalá), the name of a village on Lake Galilee (the name of which derives from Hebrew מגדל (migdál, “tower”)). Generic use comes from the traditional association…
- How popular is the name Magdalene?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Magdalene, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 2014, with 10 births.
- Is Magdalene a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 9,994 US babies named Magdalene since 1880 were girls.
- When was Magdalene most popular?
- 1923 in the United States, when 199 babies were named Magdalene, its highest rank at 493rd.
- How do you pronounce Magdalene?
- Magdalene is /ˈmæɡdəlin/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Magdalene?
- Magdalen and Magdalena.