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I find Madeleine somewhere between "boring" and "sweet". It is a pretty name, but I have heard it said so often that it lost it's sparkle for me.

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That said, I have only met one person with the name, so I think meeting one would be lovely. The downside is "Maddie", which you mentioned. I think it cheapeans the name and would avoid it entirely. Though, I think you could get away with Dell, Line or even Laney depending on your pronunciation.

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Linnea is far prettier than Madeleine in my opinion. I have it on reserve on my list in case I have twins. It has a more modern feel, yes, but it is delicate and light and not edgy or overly-frilly, like many popular names right now.

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As for Marie - it oozes simple class to me. I know it is not everyone's favorite, but I find it both adorable and sophisticated at the same time.

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So - (after being so longwinded!) yes... I think that Marie trumps the others in this list. All are lovely names... but Marie has that "je ne said quoi" that everyone wants in a name.

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I personally have Marie-Noelle on my list, which is double-barreled and still allows for the Marie nickname.