Magdalene
Magdalene was given to 165 girls in 2025, #1,345 among girls’ names; 9,994 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 5,080 Americans named Magdalene and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (51% of everyone recorded); the median is 23 years old and half are between 11 and 51.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Magdalene by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Magdalene mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Magdalene is “a female given name from Hebrew.” Its etymology gives the senses “woman from Magdala” (Μαγδαληνή) and “Mary of Magdala” (Magdalene,) and “tower” (מגדל).
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.
/ˈmæɡdəlin/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Magdalene?
#1,345 among girls’ names, 2025
Magdalene rose from #1,808 in 2015 to #1,345 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.06 to 0.10 per 1,000.
199 babies in 1923, the peak
Magdalene peaked in 1923, when 199 girls were given it, #493 among girls’ names. The 165 births of 2025 are 83% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165 | #1,345 | 0.10 |
| 2024 | 158 | #1,418 | 0.10 |
| 2023 | 140 | #1,530 | 0.09 |
| 2022 | 121 | #1,728 | 0.07 |
| 2021 | 90 | #2,111 | 0.05 |
| 2020 | 112 | #1,779 | 0.07 |
| 2019 | 89 | #2,122 | 0.05 |
| 2018 | 122 | #1,702 | 0.07 |
| 2017 | 109 | #1,873 | 0.06 |
| 2016 | 140 | #1,586 | 0.08 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 116 | #1,808 | 0.06 |
| 2014 | 134 | #1,611 | 0.08 |
| 2013 | 126 | #1,681 | 0.07 |
| 2012 | 99 | #1,979 | 0.06 |
| 2011 | 107 | #1,881 | 0.06 |
| 2010 | 110 | #1,856 | 0.06 |
| 2009 | 106 | #1,969 | 0.06 |
| 2008 | 102 | #2,039 | 0.05 |
| 2007 | 96 | #2,110 | 0.05 |
| 2006 | 113 | #1,820 | 0.06 |
| 2005 | 115 | #1,725 | 0.06 |
| 2004 | 89 | #2,056 | 0.05 |
| 2003 | 92 | #1,978 | 0.05 |
| 2002 | 67 | #2,397 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 82 | #2,054 | 0.05 |
| 2000 | 89 | #1,911 | 0.05 |
| 1999 | 78 | #2,008 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 54 | #2,551 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 64 | #2,162 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 77 | #1,889 | 0.04 |
| 1995 | 45 | #2,705 | 0.03 |
| 1994 | 58 | #2,277 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 51 | #2,471 | 0.03 |
| 1992 | 30 | #3,632 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 34 | #3,255 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 39 | #2,928 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 38 | #2,898 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 35 | #2,952 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 32 | #3,000 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 47 | #2,215 | 0.03 |
| 1985 | 39 | #2,520 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 33 | #2,757 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 33 | #2,703 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 33 | #2,805 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 23 | #3,582 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 26 | #3,276 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 30 | #2,896 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 20 | #3,711 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 25 | #3,129 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 25 | #2,973 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 28 | #2,715 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 15 | #4,145 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 18 | #3,574 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 19 | #3,355 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 21 | #3,221 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 19 | #3,379 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 30 | #2,380 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 23 | #2,675 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 26 | #2,407 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 21 | #2,718 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 25 | #2,442 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 30 | #2,230 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 31 | #2,154 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 28 | #2,290 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 30 | #2,185 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 29 | #2,172 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 34 | #1,938 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 41 | #1,692 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 33 | #1,914 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 44 | #1,608 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 44 | #1,548 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 43 | #1,549 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 57 | #1,292 | 0.03 |
| 1952 | 50 | #1,377 | 0.03 |
| 1951 | 53 | #1,283 | 0.03 |
| 1950 | 58 | #1,219 | 0.03 |
| 1949 | 48 | #1,330 | 0.03 |
| 1948 | 53 | #1,262 | 0.03 |
| 1947 | 51 | #1,277 | 0.03 |
| 1946 | 53 | #1,185 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 47 | #1,151 | 0.04 |
| 1944 | 77 | #870 | 0.06 |
| 1943 | 68 | #960 | 0.05 |
| 1942 | 75 | #911 | 0.06 |
| 1941 | 70 | #873 | 0.06 |
| 1940 | 77 | #814 | 0.07 |
| 1939 | 62 | #894 | 0.06 |
| 1938 | 81 | #780 | 0.07 |
| 1937 | 69 | #829 | 0.06 |
| 1936 | 90 | #704 | 0.09 |
| 1935 | 103 | #644 | 0.10 |
| 1934 | 107 | #648 | 0.10 |
| 1933 | 116 | #605 | 0.12 |
| 1932 | 113 | #631 | 0.11 |
| 1931 | 123 | #598 | 0.12 |
| 1930 | 146 | #565 | 0.13 |
| 1929 | 111 | #664 | 0.10 |
| 1928 | 154 | #570 | 0.13 |
| 1927 | 127 | #635 | 0.11 |
| 1926 | 137 | #608 | 0.12 |
| 1925 | 141 | #617 | 0.12 |
| 1924 | 172 | #557 | 0.14 |
| 1923 | 199 | #493 | 0.16 |
| 1922 | 161 | #566 | 0.13 |
| 1921 | 174 | #540 | 0.14 |
| 1920 | 182 | #521 | 0.15 |
| 1919 | 178 | #508 | 0.16 |
| 1918 | 185 | #500 | 0.16 |
| 1917 | 183 | #485 | 0.17 |
| 1916 | 156 | #529 | 0.15 |
| 1915 | 151 | #505 | 0.15 |
| 1914 | 130 | #488 | 0.17 |
| 1913 | 74 | #602 | 0.12 |
| 1912 | 87 | #519 | 0.16 |
| 1911 | 71 | #492 | 0.17 |
| 1910 | 54 | #561 | 0.14 |
| 1909 | 63 | #474 | 0.18 |
| 1908 | 37 | #635 | 0.11 |
| 1907 | 47 | #527 | 0.15 |
| 1906 | 35 | #606 | 0.12 |
| 1905 | 35 | #595 | 0.12 |
| 1904 | 56 | #432 | 0.20 |
| 1903 | 33 | #568 | 0.13 |
| 1902 | 36 | #541 | 0.14 |
| 1901 | 28 | #596 | 0.12 |
| 1900 | 32 | #628 | 0.11 |
| 1899 | 26 | #614 | 0.11 |
| 1898 | 22 | #709 | 0.09 |
| 1897 | 27 | #590 | 0.12 |
| 1896 | 29 | #574 | 0.12 |
| 1895 | 29 | #558 | 0.12 |
| 1894 | 29 | #541 | 0.13 |
| 1893 | 34 | #459 | 0.16 |
| 1892 | 36 | #457 | 0.17 |
| 1891 | 33 | #444 | 0.18 |
| 1890 | 17 | #659 | 0.09 |
| 1889 | 16 | #652 | 0.09 |
| 1888 | 19 | #588 | 0.11 |
| 1887 | 16 | #576 | 0.11 |
| 1886 | 17 | #550 | 0.12 |
| 1885 | 20 | #480 | 0.15 |
| 1884 | 9 | #772 | 0.07 |
| 1883 | 10 | #638 | 0.09 |
| 1882 | 12 | #552 | 0.11 |
| 1881 | 14 | #462 | 0.15 |
| 1880 | 13 | #484 | 0.14 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Magdalene a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Magdalene has been recorded only for girls: SSA lists no boys with the name in 146 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Magdalene: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Magdalene, and how old are they?
5,080 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 51% of the 9,994 Americans ever recorded as Magdalene. The median Magdalene alive today is 23 years old; half are between 11 and 51.
The 2020 Census counted 5,065 people named Magdalene (5,058 women and girls, 7 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 4,803 born in the U.S. The Census count is 5% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 420 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 615 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 344 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 630 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,450 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,610 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Magdalene born?
The states with the most babies named Magdalene are Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Ohio, with 31% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 498 | #1,332 | 0.9× |
| North Carolina | 473 | not ranked | 1.6× |
| Ohio | 440 | #854 | 1.0× |
| Texas | 389 | #1,590 | 0.6× |
| Kentucky | 355 | not ranked | 1.8× |
| New York | 299 | #2,281 | 0.4× |
| Illinois | 238 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| California | 200 | #1,806 | 0.3× |
| Alabama | 155 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Tennessee | 153 | not ranked | 0.7× |
Where Magdalene is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Magdalene is most over-represented in Kentucky: since 1910 it was given 1.8 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Magdalene with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 7 names spelled alike, given to 32,422 babies since 1880, Magdalene is the second most given (31% of them). In 2025 it was given to 165 of their 485 babies (34%), again the second most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Magdalene
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Magdalene and names like it
- Compare Magdalene and MagdalenaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sMagdalene peaked in 1923.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Magdalene since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Magdalene: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1923The year the most babies were named Magdalene.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Magdalene alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with MMost given first.