Jump to content

Madeleine (given name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Madeleine (name))
Madeleine
Mary Magdalene, the saint responsible for the popularity of the name Madeline, in a painting by Frederick Sandys
Pronunciation/ˈmædəlɪn/ MAD-əl-in
/ˈmædəln/ MAD-əl-ayn
French: [madlɛn]
GenderFemale
Origin
Meaning'from the city of Magdala'
Other names
Nickname(s)Maddy/Maddie
Related namesMaddalena, Madelyn/Madalyn, Magda, Magdalena, Magdalene
Popularitysee popular names

Madeleine or Madeline is a feminine given name, ultimately of Greek origin. The name exists in various spellings and pronunciations and is popular among those living in Europe and English-speakers, as well as followers of Christianity, as Mary Magdalene was a central figure in the New Testament.

Madeleine is a modern rendering, found in English and French, of the Greek epithet: Μαγδαληνή, romanizedMagdalenē, lit.'from Magdala'. It arose as a name due to its association with the Biblical character and female disciple Mary Magdalene. It has a secondary meaning from German of "little girl" (Mädelein).[citation needed]

Both variants are currently pronounced the same in English, but Madeline was formerly pronounced /ˈmædəln/ MAD-əl-eyen; furthermore, they can be pronounced /ˈmædələn/ MAD-əl-ən in non-standard English.[1]

Madelyn and Madalyn are alternative spellings. Diminutives include Maddy, Maddie, Maddi and Leine.

People named Madeleine

[edit]

People named Madeline

[edit]

Fictional characters

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Wells, John (3 April 2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3 ed.). Harlow: Pearson. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.