Madella
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "highest tower".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Madella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Madella today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Madella births was 1928 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Madella. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Madella is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Madellas were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Madella. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1928
7 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1955 SSA rank
#6,371
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Madella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Madella from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Madella remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madella by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Madella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Madella
The name Madella is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with roots that can be traced back to various cultures and languages across different time periods. One theory suggests that the name may have its origins in the Latin language, derived from the word "mater," which means "mother." This connection could imply that the name was initially given to children to honor motherhood or maternal figures.
Another potential source of the name Madella is the Old German language, where it may have been a diminutive form of the name Matilda or Magdalena. These names have their roots in the Hebrew name Migdal, meaning "tower" or "fortress," and the Greek name Magdalene, which means "woman from Magdala."
In the Middle Ages, the name Madella was occasionally recorded in various regions of Europe, although its usage was relatively rare. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in a 12th-century German manuscript, where a woman named Madella was listed as a witness in a legal document.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Madella. One such figure was Madella di Cesena, an Italian painter from the 14th century who was known for her religious works depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Another notable bearer of the name was Madella Baiocchi, a 16th-century Italian noblewoman and philanthropist who established several charitable organizations in her hometown of Rome.
In the realm of literature, the name Madella appeared in the works of several authors. For instance, in the 19th-century novel "The Cloister and the Hearth" by Charles Reade, one of the characters was named Madella. Additionally, the name was used for a character in the 1920s novel "The Green Hat" by Michael Arlen, which was later adapted into a successful Broadway play.
Other historical figures with the name Madella include Madella Ferrera, a 15th-century Italian artist known for her frescoes in churches throughout Tuscany, and Madella Berendsohn, a 19th-century German writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and education.
While the name Madella has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has persisted as a unique and evocative choice, carrying with it a rich tapestry of cultural influences and associations.
People
Madella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Madella as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Madella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Madella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Madella going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Madella a common name?
We classify Madella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 36 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Madella most popular?
The single biggest year for Madella was 1928, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Madella is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Madella in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Madella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Madella in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Madella still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Madella in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Madella can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Madella?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.