Recorded in several spellings including Madeleine, Madeline, Madelin, Madolin, Madelon, Madon and Madel, (France) and Madelen, Madelin, Madeline, Madlin, Maddling, Maidling, and Maidland (England), this is a surname of early French origins. It almost certainly originates from the female name Madeline or Madeleine, and if so is one which was probably introduced into England in the period of the three centuries following the Norman Invasion of 1066. Curiously though we have not been able to secure proof positive that this was the case, although there is no doubt that it came in later with the 17th century French Huguenot refugees. They were seeking safety from the mad excesses of the French King Louis X1V (1643 - 1715), who can only be described as a religious maniac. The surviving French register recordings are very poor. Most registers were destroyed during the French Revolution of 1792, when the populace regarded any written information as providing intelligence to the secret police of the monarch. In this case the recordings in England are earlier than France. Examples include Louis Madlin who may have been a refugee. He was a witness at the church of St Margarets Westminster, on March 9th 1620, John Maidland, a spelling which would seem to be a simple spelling mistake, a witness at St Sepulchre church in the city of London, on March 29th 1677, and Judith Madelin, who was christened at St Andrews Holborn, on February 15th 1747.

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