Given name & surname
Tilly
“one who is mighty in battle”·“the power of the people”
In English use, Tilly is a diminutive of Matilda. One German interpretation is “one who is mighty in battle.” Tilly is a variant of Till. In German use, Till carries the interpretation “the power of the people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Tilly is a diminutive of Matilda. One German interpretation is “one who is mighty in battle.” Tilly is a variant of Till. In German use, Till carries the interpretation “the power of the people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Tilly is a diminutive of Matilda. A possible origin is Germanic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Tilly is used as an affectionate form of Matilda.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Tilly is a diminutive of Matilda. The history of Matilda gives this family its wider story. Use of Matilda was revived during the 18th century.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Tilly through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,699
- 0 boys · 2,699 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 302 babies
- 2025
- 302
- #885 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +95%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 302 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 885 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 95.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (25). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,423 as a first name in 2020; 1,126 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tilly’s family of names
In English usage, Tilly is a diminutive of Matilda. In English usage, Tilly shares a linguistic root with the Norwegian Bokmål form TILIA. Tilly has a related form in Tillie.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Tilly has relatives in 5 languages.
8 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Tilly
- Tilly FleischerGerman javelin thrower (1911–2005)
- Tilly EdingerGerman paleontologist (1897-1967)
- Tilly LoschBallerina, dancer, actress (1903-1975)
- Tilly KeeperBritish actressborn 1997
- Tilly MetzLuxembourgish politicianborn 1967
- Tilly SmithBritish lifesaverborn 1994
- Tilly van der ZwaardDutch sprinter and middle-distance runner1938–2019
- Tilly LauensteinGerman actress and voice actress (1916–2002)
- Tilly AstonAustralian author in text and in braille, educator and philanthropist (1873-1947)
Characters named Tilly: Tilly Norwood (AI-generated character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tilly, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Kali
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3% boys · 97% girls
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Ivy
“resembling the evergreen vining plant”
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Winnie
“of the joy stone; from the friendly town” · “firstborn daughter”
>99% girls
Blakely
“from the dark meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls