Meaning:
Its source is a Hebrew expression meaning "Person from Magdala."
Languages:
This girl's name is used in English and French.
Popularity:
The name Madeline ranked 54th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 330th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name was popular earlier in the 20th century, then fell off in usage, but has begun making a comeback in recent years.
Narrative:
Magdala was a village on the Sea of Galilee, supposedly the home of the character in the Christian scriptures known as Mary of Magdala, or Mary Magdalene.
Though the town had an unsavory reputation, there is no scriptural support for Mary's identification as a courtesan who forsook her sinful ways to follow Jesus of Nazareth. However, this is her place in Christian tradition, and she stands as a symbol of the redeemable sinner, accepted and forgiven regardless of her sordid past.
