I think it's cute. I used to be a teacher and I had a student with that name that was smart, sweet, and all around adorable. So... positive association. The girl I knew went by her full name, but I think Lena would be a really cute nickname for Magdalena.
It's beautiful. I would pair it with a single syllable middle name, though.
Married 10/4/2014 (10-4, good buddy!) Baby Boy #1 born 1/9/17 Baby Boy #2 EDD 11/4/18
"It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." -Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird
I agree that the gd combo doesn't appeal to me, and it just doesn't seem to fit with Samuel. I love Elena, or Lena is nice. Also like pp suggestion of Margaret.
I think Samuel and Magdelena would be just fine as a sibset. I only think it's odd when siblings have names that are very similar in sound or spelling, or rhyme.
Samuel and Magdalena sound fine together. Sam and Maggie is cute too. DD2 MN is Magdalene so I love it even more. I work in a nursing home and have a Magdalena and she has quite the interesting life. It is a nice change from Margaret.
I'm not a fan. I'm not religious at all, and i don't know if you are, but Mary Magdalene is a somewhat controversial figure in the Bible. Some people believe she was a prostitute, others that she was Jesus' partner, and she was supposedly the first person to have said to have seen Jesus after his crucifixion. The prostitute part is what bothers me the most, I wouldn't want to name my daughter after that. Even if it isn't true, it is the reputation she holds for many people.
I love it but crossed it off my own list due to the prostitute connection. Mary Magdalene is namesake worthy, but I do worry that many people will hear the name and subconsciously think "prostitute" first before thinking about the rest of her story.
Re: How do you feel about...
Baby Boy #1 born 1/9/17
Baby Boy #2 EDD 11/4/18
TTC since September 2012