Why is Madeline pronounced Madelyn?

[Anonymous]

I have a Madeline and honestly we use both pronunciations!

[Anonymous]

French speaker here. Yes, in French it’s Ma-de-Len, not line, or lyn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is a really stupid argument. This name has multiple spellings and pronunciations, no one is "wrong" to use one or the other.

Sooooo stupid. Lol.

[Anonymous]

I am Madelyn. Others with same name, same age group (50s) are Madeleine, pronounced the same as mine.

[Anonymous]

My teen daughter has a friend Caroline but the friend herself pronounces it Carolyn. I just fine it odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its not. Madeline is pronounced mad-e- LINE like you said. Madeleine, Madelyn and probably lots of other spelling variations are pronounced with Lynn ending. Like you, I prefer the name Madeline but it is often mispronounced.

Nope.

For the etymologists among us, Madeline really SHOULD be pronounced MAD-uh-lyn, not MAD-uh-line. This is because it is a French name originally spelled Madeleine, which, in French, is pronounced mad-uh-LEHN, and is then Americanized to MAD-uh-lin. The spelling Madeline would be pronounced (according to its French roots) as mad-uh-LEEN, which would, again, be Americanized to MAD-uh-lin. See Jacqueline, Catherine, Jessamine. The "English" pronounciation MAD-uh-line is actually a mistake taken from the Madeline books, in which the MAD-uh-line pronunciation was used to create a rhyming scheme.

THIS. It’s the correct pronunciation. I’ve heard it both ways, OP, but in terms of being right—you aren’t. Pronounce it however you want but just don’t think those other people are the ones screwing it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a Madeline and honestly we use both pronunciations!

Okay, that’s weird. I can understand your dd happily accepting different pronunciations from other people but the fact that you guys change it at random at home is bizarre.

[Anonymous]

As someone named Madeline pronounced Madelyn this is frustrating to read. Made line is not a real name. It was created to go along with a rhyming scheme in the Madeline books.l I’m wondering if some of these people you think are named Mad duh line are actually Madelyn and just not correcting you.

[Anonymous]

Aaaand this is why there are a lot of Maddies out there.

This was a core requirement for our name search. If people argue over how a name is supposed to be pronounced, we crossed it off the list. Even if we loved it. Because that would make it worse, no? Loving a name and then having people regularly pronounce it differently? Or tell us we were pronouncing our own child's name wrong? No thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did Madeline become Madalyn? Has it always been so? Is Madeline (with a LINE) only french?

I love Madeline (LINE) and strongly dislike Madeline said like Lynn.

Spell it Madeleine.

But yeah she will correct people all her life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did Madeline become Madalyn? Has it always been so? Is Madeline (with a LINE) only french?

I love Madeline (LINE) and strongly dislike Madeline said like Lynn.

Well aren't you a peach. Glad you have such big emotions over something so important!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aaaand this is why there are a lot of Maddies out there.

This was a core requirement for our name search. If people argue over how a name is supposed to be pronounced, we crossed it off the list. Even if we loved it. Because that would make it worse, no? Loving a name and then having people regularly pronounce it differently? Or tell us we were pronouncing our own child's name wrong? No thank you.

No people like to give nicknames or sometimes there are two in the class. I would never cross a name off my list for " potential" problems with future people who may or not have trouble with my kids' names!

[Anonymous]

My goodness, for those bent on being correct: language evolves. So do names.

Absolutely correct to say that the LINE pronunciation is neither original nor French, but it is an accepted, correct pronunciation at this point. (So is the LYNN pronunciation.)

Caroline is often cited as a clearer example of ending in LINE (and in English it is), but it is theoretically subject to the same criticisms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's odd when people named Jacqueline pronounce it Jacklyn, like on RHONJ
I'd that the "correct" pronunciation?

Jacqueline Kennedy pronounced her name as "Jac leen" because it rhymed with Queen 👑.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aaaand this is why there are a lot of Maddies out there.

This was a core requirement for our name search. If people argue over how a name is supposed to be pronounced, we crossed it off the list. Even if we loved it. Because that would make it worse, no? Loving a name and then having people regularly pronounce it differently? Or tell us we were pronouncing our own child's name wrong? No thank you.

No people like to give nicknames or sometimes there are two in the class. I would never cross a name off my list for " potential" problems with future people who may or not have trouble with my kids' names!

People also give nicknames when they are unsure of the pronunciation of the full name.

You should do what you want, but a lot of people factor in potential pronunciation problems when they select their kids names. That's why OP asked this question. Some people might not mind if their kid's name is pronounced differently or if their kid has to correct pronunciation, but it would bother me and that's why we stayed away from names with this issue.