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Magaly

♀ Girl

Pronounced mah-gah-LEE /mɑ.ɡɑˈli/High

Meaning: Provençal form of Margaret, 'pearl', via Magali; widely adopted in Latin America with the -y spellingMedium

In 30 seconds: Margaret by way of Provence and Lima: Magaly is the Occitan Magali — 'pearl' — that Latin America adopted and re-spelled. Mistral wrote her into poetry; telenovelas wrote her into living rooms.
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Origin MediumProvençal, French, Latin American
MeaningProvençal form of Margaret, 'pearl', via Magali; widely adopted in Latin America with the -y spelling
U.S. rank (2024)#3465 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births45 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2001
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,235

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200119512024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Magaly descends from Magali, the Provençal (Occitan) form of Margaret — Greek margarites, 'pearl' — immortalized in Mistral's Mirèio. French fashion carried Magali worldwide in the midcentury, and Spanish-speaking America embraced it as Magaly, where Peruvian TV personality Magaly Medina keeps it a household word.

In the U.S. the name tracks Latin American families and holds steady at rare. It reads warm, retro-romantic, and quietly pearl-rooted like all of Margaret's daughters.

Did you know? Frédéric Mistral's Provençal epic Mirèio (1859) features the famous song of Magali — the work that won him a Nobel Prize and gave this name its literary glow.
Overall data confidence 80%
Behind the Name — Magali — Provençal origin

Variations

MagaliMagalieMaggaly

Nicknames

MagaLily

Famous Bearers

  • ★Magaly Medina (1963–present)
    Peruvian television host and media personality.

If you like Magaly…

Margarita— the Spanish Margaret sharing the pearl root
Maribel— a fellow warm Latin American compound-era favorite
Yolanda— another midcentury Latina classic
Nathaly— another French name
Evalyn— another vintage pick

Browse the whole category: All Provençal names →  ·  All French names →  ·  All Latin American names →  ·  All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Magaly mean?

Magaly comes from Magali, the Provençal form of Margaret, and means 'pearl'.

How do you pronounce Magaly?

It's said mah-gah-LEE /mɑ.ɡɑˈli/ — three syllables, stress on the last.

Is Magaly a boy or girl name?

Magaly is a girl's name.

How popular is Magaly?

Magaly is rare in the U.S. and a familiar mid-century favorite across Latin America.