girl's name
Maud
MOHD
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 51,526
Ireland
#676
2023 births
Maud is the same name as Maude and peaked ninety-three years later — the e-less spelling belongs to France, which set its high in 1981 while the American form was already a century past its own.
- Maud is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1981, when 1,470 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 14,737 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Maud 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 | 55 |
| 1910s | 135 |
| 1920s | 545 |
| 1930s | 1,110 |
| 1940s | 1,585 |
| 1950s | 1,485 |
| 1960s | 1,215 |
| 1970s | 7,820 |
| 1980s | 11,585 |
| 1990s | 6,605 |
| 2000s | 4,010 |
| 2010s | 1,405 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 385 |
What Maud means
Maud means mighty in battle. The Germanic compound joins strength to combat, so both elements describe force, which was an ordinary pattern in Germanic naming.
Where Maud comes from
Maud is a medieval form of Matilda, from the Germanic Mahthildis — maht, might, joined to hild, battle. English used Maud as the ordinary spoken form of Matilda throughout the Middle Ages, which is why the Empress Matilda appears in English chronicles as Maud. Tennyson's 1855 poem Maud revived it in Victorian England. The spelling without the e is the one French took up, and our data shows the two forms peaking almost a century apart.
Maud in use
Maud peaked in France in 1981, when 1,470 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 927th in Scotland on 3 births, 950th in France on 40 and 4610th in England and Wales on 5, across 51,526 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Maude, written up separately, peaked in the United States in 1888 — ninety-three years earlier, in a different country and a different century.
How popular is Maud?
In 2025, Maud was given to 40 babies in France, ranking #950 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Maud 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 Maud
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Maud also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Maud over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Maud 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 Maud
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Maud — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Maud
What does the name Maud mean?
Mighty in battle — the Germanic maht joined to hild.
Is Maud different from Maude?
Only in spelling. This one is French and peaked in 1981; Maude is American and peaked in 1888.
Why do chronicles call Matilda Maud?
Maud was the ordinary spoken English form of Matilda throughout the Middle Ages.
Is the Tennyson poem connected?
His 1855 Maud revived the name in Victorian England.
How popular is the name Maud?
In 2025, Maud was given to 40 babies in France, ranking #950 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Maud a girl's or a boy's name?
Maud is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Maud?
Maud has 1 syllable.
When was Maud most popular?
Maud peaked in 1981, when 1,470 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Maud a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Maud currently ranks #927 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.