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Matilda as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Matilda

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The baby name Matilda is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /məˈtɪldə/ (muh-TIL-duh).

Matilda is Germanic in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: /məˈtɪldə/ (muh-TIL-duh)

What is the meaning of the name Matilda ?

The baby name Matilda is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /məˈtɪldə/ (muh-TIL-duh).

Matilda is Germanic in Origin.

Matilda comes from Old High German Mathildis, built from maht “might, strength” and hild “battle,” yielding the sense “strength in battle.” Carried to England by the Normans as Mahaut/Mathilde, it quickly embedded in aristocratic circles: Queen Matilda, consort of William the Conqueror; and Empress Matilda, 12th-century claimant to the English throne. The name appears widely in medieval charters across France, England, and the German states, declined later, and returned with vigor in the 19th-century revival of medieval names.

Recent decades show strong use in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, buoyed by Roald Dahl’s Matilda and the cultural familiarity of “Waltzing Matilda.” International forms include Mathilde (French, Danish, Norwegian), Matilde (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese), Mafalda (Portuguese/Italian), and Mahaut (medieval French). English short forms are Maud/Maude, Tilda, Tilde/Thilde, Tilly/Tillie, Tildy, and Mattie. Matilda blends stout Germanic heritage with a smart, spirited modern feel.

Matilda has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Matilda

Matilda of Tuscany Politician · Born 1040 Matilda of Tuscany, born in 1040, was a powerful medieval politician known for her role in the Investiture Controversy, a significant conflict between the papacy and the Holy Roman Emperor. She played a crucial part in supporting the papacy and was a key ally of Pope Gregory VII. Her leadership and military prowess helped maintain the papal territories during a turbulent period in European history. Matilda of Boulogne Politician · Born 1105 · Kingdom of England Matilda of Boulogne is best known as Queen of England through her marriage to King Stephen during the civil war known as the Anarchy. She was also Countess of Boulogne in her own right from 1125 until her death in 1152.

Celebrity babies named Matilda

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Matilda Ledger Michelle Williams television actor ★★★★★ Heath Ledger film director ★★★★★

Matilda – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
AL Girls 0 #23 462 4,141
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
AL 0 #38 38 2,372
GH Girls 0 #52 1,016 6,973
New Zealand Girls 2010 #59 53 98
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
Switzerland Girls 2024 #77 60 1,786
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
MD Girls 0 #92 1 865
Norway Girls 2025 #93 34 453
TW 0 #101 3 4,523
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
GH 0 #107 163 5,396
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
Sweden Girls 2022 #115 67 1,568
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
BW Girls 0 #131 18 4,216
GR 0 #131 5 3,911
RS Girls 0 #134 4 1,651
Finland Girls 2026 #135 4,239 3,895
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
GR Girls 0 #143 103 6,293
MT Girls 0 #151 3 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
HR 0 #164 16 2,081
Belgium Girls 2024 #165 21 424
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HR Girls 0 #167 158 3,687
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
Finland Girls 0 #182 340 1,368
Canada Girls 2024 #185 103 2,795
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
LT Girls 0 #195 6 1,904
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
NA Girls 0 #206 19 7,146
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Girls 0 #224 8 3,559
NG 0 #241 24 5,926
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
Finland 0 #253 55 830
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
HR Boys 0 #258 2 3,997
MO Girls 0 #262 2 7,056
GR Boys 0 #271 3 6,912
JM Girls 0 #273 6 7,507
SG 0 #274 9 11,010
IL 0 #278 5 6,291
TW Girls 0 #283 7 8,139
AL Boys 0 #287 12 5,122
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
DK Girls 0 #298 19 7,429
QA Girls 0 #307 10 15,378
KZ Girls 0 #310 11 5,862
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
CZ Girls 0 #331 11 5,378
JO Girls 0 #331 9 7,570
GH Boys 0 #332 14 8,138
GT 0 #337 2 5,948
United States Girls 2024 #351 769 8,487
CN Girls 0 #351 9 8,829
MY 0 #352 3 12,352
SD Girls 0 #353 6 7,678
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
PL Girls 0 #357 8 5,096
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
France Girls 2021 #364 42 3,185
NG Girls 0 #366 607 15,093
OM Girls 0 #378 19 15,987
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
Austria Girls 0 #404 17 1,885
BO 0 #405 4 6,868
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
CL Girls 0 #416 572 14,098
ZA 0 #418 30 14,421
PH Girls 0 #421 9 13,098
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
RU Girls 0 #446 53 11,913
CM Girls 0 #461 80 11,671
KW Girls 0 #462 54 19,177
PT Girls 0 #463 9 7,952
PA Girls 0 #464 18 9,861
AR Boys 0 #480 4 7,628
UY Girls 0 #485 26 6,731
GT Girls 0 #486 20 7,500
PS Girls 0 #500 24 10,981
ZA Girls 0 #507 922 25,928
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
IQ Girls 0 #517 9 11,303
IR Girls 0 #517 14 8,334
SG Girls 0 #519 68 18,916
RU Boys 0 #523 4 12,621
AE Girls 0 #528 26 20,968
AR Girls 0 #534 66 8,289
BH 0 #540 14 17,937
LY 0 #555 5 12,703
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
IT Girls 0 #564 1,502 9,415
CR Girls 0 #566 8 11,342
HK Girls 0 #570 46 16,104
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
IL Girls 0 #579 39 11,648
BO Girls 0 #585 27 9,488
IT 0 #613 102 4,183
LB 0 #617 42 13,263
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
IN Girls 0 #646 9 13,121
CL Boys 0 #692 9 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
SY 0 #703 26 11,684
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
Germany Girls 0 #772 67 4,949
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
TN 0 #816 14 13,765
SA Girls 0 #878 58 25,931
NL Girls 0 #909 47 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #912 72 5,561
PE Girls 0 #914 30 14,861
OM Boys 0 #915 4 17,948
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
BR Girls 0 #932 10 12,708
EG Girls 0 #938 22 14,742
MY Girls 0 #957 38 24,821
CO Girls 0 #964 115 16,140
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
NG Boys 0 #996 6 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,032 2 16,355
MX Girls 0 #1,072 112 17,781
MA 0 #1,110 19 20,986
DZ 0 #1,128 49 20,130
AE Boys 0 #1,143 1 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,156 23 25,619
TR 0 #1,180 32 19,440
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
IT Boys 0 #1,455 17 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,683 9 28,008

Matilda is popular in 86 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
France
Canada
Norway
Scotland, United Kingdom

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Matilda

Matilda is predominantly a girl's name.
Matilda is a 3 syllable name, pronounced /məˈtɪldə/ (muh-TIL-duh).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Mathilda, Mathilde, Matilde, Matylda, Maud and Tilda.
Yes, very popular — Matilda ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Matilda ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Matilda's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 2 notable people named Matilda are in our database, including Matilda of Tuscany (Politician), Matilda of Boulogne (Politician).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Matilda for their child, including Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger.