Abigail vs Madelene
Abigail and Madelenecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2010, Abigail was ranked #34 and Madelene #5707 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2013, Abigail was ranked #311 and Madelene #582 among girls in Norway.
Abigail and Madelene over time
Abigail and Madelene appear together in 2 published lists, across 27 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Madelene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Abigail in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
Norway · Girls16 shared years, 1988–2013
Abigail held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Madelene in 11.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #311 in 2013, Madelene #264 in 1999.
The order changed in 2010: Abigail moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #422 and #394; by 2010 that had become #397 and #430.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Abigail #311, Madelene #582.
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2010
Abigail held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Madelene in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2004, Madelene #2023 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Abigail #34, Madelene #5707.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abigail | Madelene |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | Norway · Girls #582 (2013) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Madelene.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #171 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Madelene
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #570 among girls in Norway in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2013
Highest recorded position: #264 among girls in Norway, in 1999 (recorded 1985–2013).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2013
Most recently recorded at #582 among girls in Norway, in 2013.
Norway · Girls