Birgitte vs Madeleine
Birgitte and Madeleinecompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2016, Birgitte was ranked #509 and Madeleine #165 among girls in Norway.
Birgitte and Madeleine over time
Birgitte and Madeleine appear together in 1 published list, across 42 years of shared records. Madeleine held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Birgitte in 0.
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.
Madeleine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Birgitte 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1994, Madeleine moved ahead of Birgitte in Norway · Girls — #134 and #136 the year before became #115 and #108.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Birgitte and Madeleine changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1966 and 2016, ending at #509 and #165.
- Longest-running competitions
Birgitte and Madeleine were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 42 years, from 1966 to 2016, ending at #509 and #165.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Birgitte #86 in 1990, Madeleine #79 in 1989.
List by list
Norway · Girls42 shared years, 1966–2016
Birgitte held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Madeleine in 28.
Highest recorded here: Birgitte #86 in 1990, Madeleine #79 in 1989.
The order changed in 1994: Madeleine moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #134 and #136; by 1994 that had become #115 and #108.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Birgitte #509, Madeleine #165.
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 | Birgitte | Madeleine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #509 (2016) | Norway · Girls #327 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Birgitte has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Madeleine.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Birgitte
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #366 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2016
Highest recorded position: #86 among girls in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1946–2016).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2016
Most recently recorded at #509 among girls in Norway, in 2016.
Norway · Girls
Madeleine
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2018
Highest recorded position: #35 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1995 (recorded 1990–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #327 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls