Given name · also German
Matilda
“one who is mighty in battle”
Matilda is used as a given name. One German interpretation is “one who is mighty in battle.”
Original GermanMathilde
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “one who is mighty in battle.”
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Germanic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
From Middle English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German Mahthilt, from Proto-West Germanic *Mahtihild, from Proto-Germanic *Mahtihildiz.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Use of Matilda was revived during the 18th century.
Matilda through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 37,280
- 10 boys · 37,270 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 838 babies
- 2025
- 838
- #365 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +17%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 838 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 365 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (68). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,836 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Matilda’s family of names
Matilda has an affectionate form in Mattie. Matilda shares a linguistic root with Matilde. In English usage, Matilda has a conventional equivalent in the Danish form Mathilde.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Matilda has relatives in 21 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
24 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 28
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Mechthildvariant · German
- Tillydiminutive · English
- Mattiediminutive · English
- Tilliediminutive · English
- Mattydiminutive · English
- Mathildavariant · Swedish, English
- Matildevariant · Portuguese, Spanish
- Mathildevariant · German, Norwegian
Show 20 moreShow fewer
- Tildashort form · Swedish, English
- Mattivariant
- Matiavariant
- Maitivariant
- Matvariant
- Mafaldavariant
- Mattildalikely variant
- Matilldalikely variant
- Iltadiminutive · Finnish
- Tildevariant · Swedish
- Matyidyvariant
- Mathildvariant
- Maitildavariant
- Mahaultvariant
- Mateldavariant
- Maltildevariant
- Maltildavariant
- Maitildevariant
- Tilduškadiminutive · Slovak
- Matildkadiminutive · Slovak
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 14
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Matilda
- Matilda of Flanderswife of William the Conqueror and Queen consort of the Kingdom of England1031–1083
- Matilda of BoulogneCountess of Boulogne and Queen Consort of England (1105-1152)
- Matilda Joslyn GageAmerican writer, Native American civil rights activist, abolitionist, freethinker1826–1898
- Matilda of England, Duchess of SaxonyEnglish princess1156–1189
- Matilda of RingelheimGerman queen consort and duchess consort of Saxony (895-968)896–968
- Matilda of Savoy, Queen of PortugalQueen consort of Portugal1125–1158
- Matilda of FrisiaFrankish Queen consort1024–1044
- Matilda of DammartinCountess of Boulogne, Queen of Portugal (1202-1259)
- Matilda LutzItalian actress (born 1991)
Characters named Matilda: Matilda Wormwood (Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel Matilda).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Matilda, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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