Magdalena vs Isabella
How Magdalena and Isabella compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
Magdalena
Female · Spanish
Meaning: Woman From Magdala. The Biblical Mary Magdalene Came From Magdala Area Near The Sea Of Galilee.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Magdalena (girls) vs Isabella (girls), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Magdalena | Isabella |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 2007 — 325 girls | 2010 — 22,935 girls |
| Peak rank | #864 | #1 |
| Most recent rank (2025) | #850 (320 births) | #7 (10,666 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 5,437 | 396,589 |
| Last 10 years (2016–2025) | 2,322 | 125,637 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Isabella reached 22,935 US births in 2010 — 22,610 more than Magdalena's peak count.
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name list.
Magdalena — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | #542 | 19 |
| 2 | Colorado | #620 | 58 |
| 3 | Kansas | #634 | 26 |
| 4 | Washington | #677 | 62 |
| 5 | Illinois | #680 | 146 |
Isabella — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | #2 | 10,088 |
| 2 | Nevada | #3 | 1,227 |
| 3 | Texas | #4 | 15,128 |
| 4 | New Mexico | #4 | 680 |
| 5 | Arizona | #4 | 2,998 |
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Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →