The nameMatilda

Meaning

Matilda comes from the Germanic maht, "might", and hild, "battle".

Origin

Germanic, brought to England by Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror. Her granddaughter, the Empress Matilda, fought for the English throne.

History

Roald Dahl's novel Matilda (1988) and the song Waltzing Matilda, unofficial anthem of Australia, kept the name familiar. In England and Wales it reached 19th place in 2025.

Famous people named Matilda

• Matilda of Flanders, Queen of England
• Empress Matilda

Popularity of the name Matilda

Matilda in the United States

Matilda was most popular in the United States in the 1910s, with 5,293 births over the decade, 15% of all recorded babies named Matilda. Half of all babies named Matilda in the United States were born before 1927, so it is mostly a great-grandparents' generation name. Over the last five years on record, its popularity has held steady at around 709 births a year.

Matilda in the United Kingdom

Matilda was most popular in the United Kingdom in the 2010s, with 15,887 births over the decade, 49% of all recorded babies named Matilda. Half of all babies named Matilda in the United Kingdom were born before 2015, so it is mostly a name of today's children and teenagers. Over the last five years on record, it has been falling: 1,397 births a year on average, against 1,718 in the five years before.

Matilda in Ireland

Matilda in France

Matilda in Switzerland

Matilda in Austria

Matilda in Norway