Maddy

Maddy is a diminutive of Madeleine, which traces back through Old French and Latin to the Hebrew Magdalene — meaning woman from Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee. In the New Testament, Mary Magdalene is one of the most devoted followers of Jesus. As a pet name, Maddy carries warmth and familiarity without any of the historical weight.

Maddy is one of those names that just sounds like a pet name — friendly, bouncy, immediately likable. It has a double-d in the middle that makes it feel almost bouncy when you say it. Small and medium dogs love the name, and it suits any girl dog with a wagging tail and an endlessly positive attitude about the world. Maddy is easy to shout across a dog park, easy to call from the back door, and impossible to say in a bad mood. A genuinely happy-making name.