Girl nameCurrently #410 in the USSteady
Matilda
muh-TIL-duh//məˈtɪldə//
3 syllablesPeak year: 20247 lettersStarts with M
Meaning & origin
Might, battle strength
Matilda comes from the Germanic elements 'maht' (might) and 'hild' (battle), a fierce meaning behind a now-gentle-sounding name. Made globally beloved by Roald Dahl's novel 'Matilda', it has surged in popularity across English-speaking countries in the past two decades.
Matilda's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Matilda |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 210 |
| 1881 | 187 |
| 1882 | 242 |
| 1883 | 167 |
| 1884 | 244 |
| 1885 | 265 |
| 1886 | 309 |
| 1887 | 266 |
| 1888 | 328 |
| 1889 | 320 |
| 1890 | 293 |
| 1891 | 336 |
| 1892 | 332 |
| 1893 | 328 |
| 1894 | 295 |
| 1895 | 339 |
| 1896 | 339 |
| 1897 | 326 |
| 1898 | 349 |
| 1899 | 312 |
| 1900 | 348 |
| 1901 | 275 |
| 1902 | 290 |
| 1903 | 245 |
| 1904 | 285 |
| 1905 | 268 |
| 1906 | 295 |
| 1907 | 322 |
| 1908 | 284 |
| 1909 | 280 |
| 1910 | 281 |
| 1911 | 321 |
| 1912 | 398 |
| 1913 | 432 |
| 1914 | 494 |
| 1915 | 682 |
| 1916 | 665 |
| 1917 | 685 |
| 1918 | 690 |
| 1919 | 645 |
| 1920 | 635 |
| 1921 | 606 |
| 1922 | 631 |
| 1923 | 570 |
| 1924 | 531 |
| 1925 | 474 |
| 1926 | 417 |
| 1927 | 419 |
| 1928 | 396 |
| 1929 | 342 |
| 1930 | 304 |
| 1931 | 239 |
| 1932 | 251 |
| 1933 | 200 |
| 1934 | 201 |
| 1935 | 194 |
| 1936 | 196 |
| 1937 | 168 |
| 1938 | 152 |
| 1939 | 128 |
| 1940 | 155 |
| 1941 | 130 |
| 1942 | 131 |
| 1943 | 127 |
| 1944 | 121 |
| 1945 | 85 |
| 1946 | 129 |
| 1947 | 133 |
| 1948 | 135 |
| 1949 | 138 |
| 1950 | 140 |
| 1951 | 129 |
| 1952 | 122 |
| 1953 | 116 |
| 1954 | 113 |
| 1955 | 121 |
| 1956 | 113 |
| 1957 | 95 |
| 1958 | 108 |
| 1959 | 122 |
| 1960 | 119 |
| 1961 | 108 |
| 1962 | 101 |
| 1963 | 126 |
| 1964 | 127 |
| 1965 | 94 |
| 1966 | 87 |
| 1967 | 68 |
| 1968 | 76 |
| 1969 | 77 |
| 1970 | 80 |
| 1971 | 75 |
| 1972 | 65 |
| 1973 | 63 |
| 1974 | 68 |
| 1975 | 66 |
| 1976 | 54 |
| 1977 | 57 |
| 1978 | 37 |
| 1979 | 56 |
| 1980 | 38 |
| 1981 | 42 |
| 1982 | 53 |
| 1983 | 36 |
| 1984 | 33 |
| 1985 | 34 |
| 1986 | 25 |
| 1987 | 35 |
| 1988 | 36 |
| 1989 | 27 |
| 1990 | 28 |
| 1991 | 29 |
| 1992 | 29 |
| 1993 | 26 |
| 1994 | 36 |
| 1995 | 43 |
| 1996 | 47 |
| 1997 | 82 |
| 1998 | 92 |
| 1999 | 74 |
| 2000 | 78 |
| 2001 | 100 |
| 2002 | 111 |
| 2003 | 105 |
| 2004 | 94 |
| 2005 | 124 |
| 2006 | 180 |
| 2007 | 201 |
| 2008 | 344 |
| 2009 | 375 |
| 2010 | 343 |
| 2011 | 353 |
| 2012 | 433 |
| 2013 | 437 |
| 2014 | 523 |
| 2015 | 583 |
| 2016 | 631 |
| 2017 | 599 |
| 2018 | 643 |
| 2019 | 696 |
| 2020 | 639 |
| 2021 | 673 |
| 2022 | 758 |
| 2023 | 708 |
| 2024 | 769 |
Matilda through the decades
- Matilda peaked in 2024, when 769 babies were named Matilda in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Matilda has risen 102% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Matilda currently ranks #410 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
TillyMattie
Variants & spellings
MathildaMatilde
Famous people named Matilda
- Matilda of England — 12th-century claimant to the English throne