girl's name
Maude
MAWD
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 59,863
Ireland
#566
1980 births
Maude belonged to the woman who nearly became England's first ruling queen — the Empress Matilda fought her cousin for the throne through nineteen years of civil war the chroniclers called the Anarchy. Our data marks the name reviving from an 1888 peak.
- Maude is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1888, when 1,406 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1880s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 72,077 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Maude over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,502 |
| 1890s | 11,354 |
| 1900s | 7,154 |
| 1910s | 6,726 |
| 1920s | 4,546 |
| 1930s | 1,810 |
| 1940s | 1,062 |
| 1950s | 647 |
| 1960s | 302 |
| 1970s | 145 |
| 1980s | 109 |
| 1990s | 95 |
| 2000s | 86 |
| 2010s | 158 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 191 |
What Maude means
Maude means mighty in battle. The Germanic joins a word for strength to one for combat, so both halves describe force rather than rank or character.
Where Maude comes from
Maude is a medieval English form of Matilda, from the Germanic Mahthildis — maht, might or strength, joined to hild, battle. Both elements mean roughly the same thing, which was ordinary in Germanic naming. The Empress Matilda, called Maud by the English, was named heir by Henry I and fought Stephen for the crown through the civil war of 1135 to 1153; her son took the throne as Henry II. Our data marks the name reviving.
Maude in use
Maude peaked in the United States in 1888, when 1,406 babies were registered — the earliest peak of any name in this sweep — and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 1616th in France on 20 births, 3346th in the United States on 46 and 4414th in England and Wales on 5, across 59,863 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. France ran its own peak of 190 births in 1986, a century after the American one.
How popular is Maude?
In 2025, Maude was given to 46 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Maude is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Maude
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Maude also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Maude over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Maude 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 Maude
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Maude — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Maude
What does the name Maude mean?
Mighty in battle — the Germanic maht, strength, joined to hild, battle.
Who was the Empress Matilda?
Henry I's named heir, who fought Stephen for the English crown from 1135 to 1153.
Is Maude the same as Matilda?
Yes — the medieval English form of the same name.
Is Maude coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, from an 1888 peak.
How popular is the name Maude?
In 2025, Maude was given to 46 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Maude a girl's or a boy's name?
Maude is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Maude?
Maude has 1 syllable.
When was Maude most popular?
Maude peaked in 1888, when 1,406 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1880s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Maude a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Maude currently ranks #1,077 in the United States. After peaking in the 1880s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.