girl's name
Matilda
mə-TIL-də
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 73,324
the United States
#364
2025 births
Matilda is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "mighty in battle." It combines maht, might or strength, with hild, battle, and arrived in England with the wife of William the Conqueror.
- Matilda is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2025, when 838 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 364 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Matilda over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Matilda is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,538 |
| 1890s | 3,249 |
| 1900s | 2,892 |
| 1910s | 5,293 |
| 1920s | 5,021 |
| 1930s | 2,033 |
| 1940s | 1,284 |
| 1950s | 1,179 |
| 1960s | 983 |
| 1970s | 620 |
| 1980s | 359 |
| 1990s | 486 |
| 2000s | 1,712 |
| 2010s | 5,241 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,390 |
What Matilda means
Matilda means mighty in battle, or strength in battle. Both halves of the name are martial — maht means might or power, and hild means battle — which makes it one of the more forceful names in common use, and an unusual one to have survived as a gentle-sounding classic.
Where Matilda comes from
Matilda comes from the Germanic Mahthildis, from maht, might, and hild, battle. It was a name of the Frankish and Saxon nobility, borne by Saint Matilda, a tenth-century German queen. The Normans carried it to England with Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, and it passed to her granddaughter the Empress Matilda, who fought a nineteen-year civil war for the English throne — the period the chronicles call the Anarchy. Medieval English wore the name down to Maud, which is why Maud and Matilda are the same name in the record. The Australian association is separate: a swagman's bundle was called a matilda, which is what Waltzing Matilda refers to.
Matilda in use
Our data shows Matilda peaking in 2025 — still climbing — and sitting at 19 in England and Wales against roughly 364 in United States records. Roald Dahl's 1988 novel gave the name a second life, and the 1996 film and later stage musical extended it.
How popular is Matilda?
In 2025, Matilda was given to 1,449 babies in England and Wales, ranking #19 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Matilda is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Matilda
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Matilda also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Matilda over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
5 nicknames for Matilda
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Matilda 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 Matilda
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Matilda — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Matilda
What does the name Matilda mean?
Matilda means "mighty in battle," from the Germanic maht, might, and hild, battle.
Are Maud and Matilda the same name?
Yes. Maud is the worn-down medieval English form of Matilda, and records use the two interchangeably.
What does Waltzing Matilda mean?
Nothing to do with the name. A matilda was Australian slang for a swagman's bundle, and waltzing it meant carrying it on the road.
How popular is the name Matilda?
In 2025, Matilda was given to 1,449 babies in England and Wales, ranking #19 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Matilda a girl's or a boy's name?
Matilda is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Matilda?
Matilda has 3 syllables.
When was Matilda most popular?
Matilda peaked in 2025, when 838 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Matilda?
Matilda is usually shortened to Tilly, Tilda, Mattie, Maud and Tillie.
Is Matilda a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Matilda currently ranks #19 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.