How to say it
ma · TIL · da
/məˈtɪl.də/
Feminine
Matilda
Mighty in battle
What it means
Germanic, from maht ('might, strength') plus hild ('battle'), so 'mighty in battle.'
Matilda is a Germanic name joining maht, 'might,' to hild, 'battle': a name with real fight in it. Empress Matilda pressed her claim to the English throne in the 12th century, and the name later spread far and wide, from Australia's 'Waltzing Matilda' to Roald Dahl's small, mighty heroine. It rides the vintage revival now and softens to the sweet Tilly or Mattie.
Popularity over time
peaked at #101 in 1880, currently #365 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Tilly and Mattie are the everyday shorts.
- Pop culture
Roald Dahl's Matilda and the song 'Waltzing Matilda.'
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Empress Matilda 12th-century claimant to the English throne
- Matilda the gifted, plucky heroine of Roald Dahl's novel
Spelling variants
- Mathilda
- Mathilde
- Matilde
Names with the same feeling
See Matilda from another angle
By meaning
By style