Madalena

/M-AA-D-AA-L-EH-N-AA/

Girl Christian Portuguese origin PortugueseBrazilian

Of Magdala (Portuguese form) — Madalena (Portuguese, from Greek Magdalēnē 'woman of Magdala') is the Portuguese form of Magdalene/Magdalena. Honors Mary Magdalene, the New Testament disciple. The Madalena form is iconically Portuguese-Brazilian — the Portuguese single-l spelling distinguishes from Spanish/Italian double-l (Magdalena/Maddalena).

See Madalena scored for your family

Meaning & origin

Madalena is a girl's name of Portuguese origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Of Magdala (Portuguese form) — Madalena (Portuguese, from Greek Magdalēnē 'woman of Magdala') is the Portuguese form of Magdalene/Magdalena. Honors Mary Magdalene, the New Testament disciple. The Madalena form is iconically Portuguese-Brazilian — the Portuguese single-l spelling distinguishes from Spanish/Italian double-l (Magdalena/Maddalena)." and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.

Common among Portuguese, Brazilian, Angolan, Mozambican, CapeVerdean, Vietnamese families, Madalena carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.

Numerology of Madalena

Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Madalena resonates in either tradition.

Pythagorean
6
nurturing and family devotion
Chaldean
6
nurturing and family devotion

How Madalena sounds

NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Madalena breaks down into 8 phonemes: /M-AA-D-AA-L-EH-N-AA/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.

Nicknames

Common affectionate forms of Madalena — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.

Lena

The six signals, applied to Madalena

NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Madalena maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.

01 — Birth Star
Nakshatra match
Enter your baby's birth date in the app and we'll compute the nakshatra compatibility score.
02 — Numerology
Destiny alignment
Pythagorean and Chaldean life-path calculations (destiny 6) matched against your family's own numerology profile.
03 — Phonetics
Last-name fit
Rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters measured with IPA to see how Madalena flows with your family name.
04 — Meaning
Divine
Madalena belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
05 — Cultural & Tradition
Christian
As a Christian name, Madalena carries religious and cultural weight scored against your family's heritage — plus grandparent-name matches, saint's-day alignment, and generational naming patterns scored against your family tree.
06 — Uniqueness
Popularity balance
How common Madalena is today versus historically — finding the sweet spot between familiar and forgotten.

Names similar to Madalena

If Madalena resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.

From the same tradition

Other Christian girl names, common in Portuguese families

Maria
Wished-for child, beloved — the Latin form of Mary used across all European languages
Anna
Grace, favour — the most universal European girl name. From Anna Karenina to Anna Magnani, it never ages, never fades.
Clara
Bright, clear, illustrious — Saint Clare of Assisi abandoned wealth to follow Saint Francis into radical poverty, founding an order of contemplative women who prayed while the Franciscan brothers preached. Her name shines with the transparency of a life stripped to essentials, the clarity that comes from wanting nothing the world offers and everything God promises
Lucia
Light, the radiant saint of the darkest season — Saint Lucy of Syracuse is the patron saint of the blind and the bearer of light in Scandinavian midwinter festivals, where girls wear crowns of candles to honour her memory. Her name carries the piercing brightness of a candle held against December darkness, the faith that light persists even when the days are shortest

Sharing the same meaning

Other Christian girl names from the Divine cluster

Isabella
From Hebrew Elisheba (my God is my oath) through Latin Isabella
Maryam
The exalted one, the only woman named in the Quran — Maryam mother of Isa is honoured in an entire surah bearing her name, praised as the woman chosen above all women of all worlds. Her name bridges Islam and Christianity with shared reverence, carrying purity, miraculous grace, and the courage of a mother who bore her child alone beneath a palm tree
Eliana
My God has answered, the child who arrived as the response to years of prayer — Eliana combines 'El' (God) with 'ana' (answered), declaring that this daughter's existence is proof that God listens

Names that sound similar

Christian girl names that open with the same syllables as Madalena

Mariam
A variant rendering of the mother of Isa, carrying the same exalted holiness in a slightly softer phonetic form — Mariam is the spelling preferred in many South Asian and African Muslim communities, and its gentle final syllable gives it a distinctive tenderness that distinguishes it from the more formal Maryam while sharing every particle of its sacred weight
Margot
Pearl — the French form of Margaret. Margot Fonteyn danced; Margot Robbie acts; the name performs on every stage.
María
Wished-for child, sea of bitterness — the most given name in the Spanish-speaking world. The Virgin Mary in every church, every prayer.

Common questions about Madalena

What does the name Madalena mean?

Madalena means "Of Magdala (Portuguese form) — Madalena (Portuguese, from Greek Magdalēnē 'woman of Magdala') is the Portuguese form of Magdalene/Magdalena. Honors Mary Magdalene, the New Testament disciple. The Madalena form is iconically Portuguese-Brazilian — the Portuguese single-l spelling distinguishes from Spanish/Italian double-l (Magdalena/Maddalena).." It is a girl name of Portuguese origin, traditionally used in Christian families.

Is Madalena a boy or girl name?

Madalena is most commonly used as a girl name.

What is the origin of the name Madalena?

Madalena is of Portuguese origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among Portuguese, Brazilian, Angolan families.

What are common nicknames for Madalena?

Common short forms of Madalena include Lena.

What is the numerology of Madalena?

Madalena has a Pythagorean destiny number of 6 — nurturing and family devotion.

See how Madalena scores for your family

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