Malene

Malene is a Scandinavian contracted form of Magdalene, which derives from the Hebrew place name Migdal, meaning tower, referring to the ancient town of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee. The name became widely known through Mary Magdalene, the biblical figure from that town, whose veneration spread the name throughout medieval Europe. Malene is most common in Denmark and Norway as an everyday vernacular reduction of the longer ecclesiastical form. Related names include Magdalena, Madeleine, Marlene, and Lena.