Hi Jennifer,

I have always wondered what the appropriate pronunciation of the name Madeline. I have heard it pronounced Made-line and Made-lynn. Me and my husband really like the name Maddie and are thinking of using the name Madeline (Made-line). Do you think that this name is too outdated or confusing?

Thanks!
Layla

madDear Layla,
The reason we don’t put pronunciations on our site is because there is no “one correct way” to pronounce a name. It depends on geography, culture and personal preference. I have met women named Dana that pronounce it “Day-na” and some that pronounce it “Dan-na.”

I believe in the cartoon of the children’s book they pronounced it Mad-eh-LINE, if that has any influence. But my answer would be: you can pronounce it any way you want.

Sincerely,
Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.