Magdalena

Associated with ‘of Magdala’, a place name.

Magdalena is a feminine given name used across many languages. In Christian tradition and biblical literature, it’s closely associated with Mary Magdalene, which is why the name has long-standing recognition well beyond any single country. From an etymology standpoint, Magdalena is commonly traced to Greek Magdalēnē and explained as ‘woman from Magdala’, referencing a place name. Because it travels widely, you may see small spelling and stress differences by language, but the underlying association with the Greek form is the usual reference point. A practical English pronunciation is mag-duh-LAY-nuh. If you’re in a multilingual setting, it can help to confirm whether the preferred local stress is on the “LAY” syllable (common in English) or a slightly different pattern in other languages.

Etymology: From Greek Magdalēnē, commonly understood as meaning ‘woman from Magdala’ (a place name), and widely known through the New Testament figure Mary Magdalene.