girl's name
Mathilde
ma-TEELD
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 153,400
France
#121
2025 births
Mathilde is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "mighty in battle," and its bearer commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry by tradition. It ranks 121st in France and is falling from a peak our records place in 1996.
- Mathilde is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1996, when 5,120 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,404 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Mathilde over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 11,075 |
| 1910s | 6,985 |
| 1920s | 5,680 |
| 1930s | 2,835 |
| 1940s | 1,255 |
| 1950s | 1,210 |
| 1960s | 1,650 |
| 1970s | 4,915 |
| 1980s | 17,475 |
| 1990s | 44,345 |
| 2000s | 31,760 |
| 2010s | 14,100 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,585 |
What Mathilde means
Mathilde means mighty in battle, from Germanic elements meaning might and battle. Both halves point the same way, so the name is emphatic rather than descriptive — strength in war, stated twice.
Where Mathilde comes from
Mathilde is the French form of the Germanic Mahthildis, from maht, might or strength, and hild, battle. Saint Matilda was the tenth-century wife of Henry the Fowler and mother of Otto the Great, remembered for her charity. The bearer who matters in France is Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror and Queen of England from 1066, who acted as regent in Normandy while he was in England and to whom tradition — probably wrongly — attributes the Bayeux Tapestry. A third is the Empress Matilda, William's granddaughter, whose contested claim to the English throne produced the civil war called the Anarchy. The name gave English Maud and Matilda as separate developments of the same source, and the Australian waltzing Matilda is unrelated: there it is slang for a swagman's bundle.
Mathilde in use
Mathilde ranks 121st in France with about 420 births in 2025 and is falling in our data from a peak in 1996. Our records carry it from 1900. It is rare outside France — 1,688th in England and Wales, 5,823rd in the United States — where Matilda is the usual spelling and has been rising while Mathilde falls, which makes the pair a good illustration of how differently one name can move in two markets.
How popular is Mathilde?
In 2025, Mathilde was given to 420 babies in France, ranking #121 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Mathilde is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Mathilde
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mathilde also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mathilde over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Mathilde in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Mathilde
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mathilde — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mathilde
What does the name Mathilde mean?
Mathilde means "mighty in battle," from Germanic elements meaning might and battle.
Is Mathilde the same as Matilda?
Yes — Mathilde is the French spelling, Matilda the English one. Maud comes from the same source.
Who was Matilda of Flanders?
William the Conqueror's wife and Queen of England from 1066, credited by tradition with the Bayeux Tapestry.
Is waltzing Matilda related?
No. There Matilda is Australian slang for a swagman's bundle.
How popular is the name Mathilde?
In 2025, Mathilde was given to 420 babies in France, ranking #121 that year. It is a rare choice.
Is Mathilde a girl's or a boy's name?
Mathilde is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mathilde?
Mathilde has 2 syllables.
When was Mathilde most popular?
Mathilde peaked in 1996, when 5,120 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Mathilde a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mathilde currently ranks #121 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.