Meaning: Its source is a Hebrew expression meaning "Person from Magdala."

In Czech, the name is spelled with an accent - Magdaléna.

Languages: This girl's name is used in German, English, Spanish, Polish, Czech, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Romanian.

Nicknames: Dalanna, Lena, Magda, Magdala, Maggie, Mala and Malena

Variant Forms: Mahulena

Popularity: The name Magdalena ranked 991st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 703rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

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.