Magdalena means "woman of Magdala", the fishing town on the Sea of Galilee whose name comes from the Hebrew migdal, "tower"; it is the name of Mary Magdalene, the first witness of the Resurrection. The full form is common in Poland, Germany, Spain and Latin America, while English speakers shortened it to Madeline and Maggie. Magdalena returned to the US top 1000 in 2019 after years just outside and ranks number 850 among girls in 2025.