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Mada
Pronounced MAY-duh /ˈmeɪ.də/Medium
Meaning: Mada is best read as a short form of Madeline or Magdalena, from Mary Magdalene, 'of Magdala' (a town on the Sea of Galilee). It may also shorten Amada ('beloved', Spanish). The clipped, homey form is typical of early-twentieth-century American nicknames set down as birth names.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Mada appears in United States birth records from the late 1800s onward as a rare, plain short name, most plausibly clipped from Madeline or Magdalena. It was never common, given to only a couple dozen girls a year, and reads as one of the many nursery forms that once made it onto the birth certificate.
A woman named Mada would belong to a great-grandmother generation, though the tidy two-beat sound is not far from names parents like today. Its fuller forms, Madeline and Magdalena, remain the clearer choices behind it.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Mada mean?
It is most likely a short form of Madeline or Magdalena, meaning 'of Magdala'.
How do you pronounce Mada?
It's said MAY-duh /ˈmeɪ.də/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Mada a boy or girl name?
Mada is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Mada?
It was always rare, an early-twentieth-century name given to only a couple dozen girls a year.