Magdalene

Where Magdalene comes from

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.
— Wiktionary's entry for Magdalene
  • Hebrew
  • 3 syllables
  • Vowel-ended
Along the way
  1. 1673
    Magdalene Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels born
    Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Eisenach,
  2. 1819
    Magdalene Thoresen born
    Danish-born Norwegian writer
  3. 1880
    First SSA year
    Already #466 among girls — 13 babies in the first year on record.
  4. 1904
    Peak, #430
    56 babies named Magdalene — more than any year before or since.
  5. 1962
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #2,264.
In the dictionary
  • A female given name from Hebrew.
Namesakes
  • Magdalene Thoresen · Danish-born Norwegian writer, 1819–1903
  • Magdalene Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels · Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Eisenach,, 1673–1726
  • Magdalene of Nagasaki · Japanese saint, 1611–1634
  • Magdalene of Lippe · Countess of Lippe by birth, and by marriage Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1552–1587
  • Magdalene Bärens · Danish artist, 1737–1808

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.