Girl name · Germanic
Matilda
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: strength in battleMatilda is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "strength in battle". It is used in English, Scandinavian, Scottish and German.
- Meaning
- Strength in battle
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- ma-TIL-dah
Meaning and origin of Matilda
As a girl's name, Matilda comes from Germanic and means "strength in battle". It is used in English, Scandinavian, Scottish and German.
Say it ma-TIL-dah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Matilda on our names that mean strong and names that mean warrior lists.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Matilda on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Matilda on 10 lists.
“Germanic for mighty in battle”
From Female demon hunter names, names that mean light, hunt or battle
“Clever, brave and a little bit magic”
From Porch goose names, girl porch goose names
“Germanic for mighty in battle”
From Female cat names, strong female cat names
“Germanic for mighty in battle, brave and bookish”
From Girl dog names, strong female dog names
“Strength in battle; Germanic. An empress who fought for England's throne, 1140s”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval female names from England and France
“Strength in battle; Germanic. Say ma-TIL-dah”
From Names that mean strong, girl names that mean strong
“Strength in battle; Germanic. A favorite of medieval queens”
From Names that mean warrior, girl names that mean warrior
“Germanic for mighty in battle; a daughter of King Malcolm III.”
From Scottish girl names, scottish girl names from history
“Strength in battle; Germanic. Tilly for short; borne by a medieval empress”
From Strong female names, warrior names for girls
“Strength in battle; Germanic. Tilly for short; storybook favorite”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Matilda?
- US rank in 2025
- #365
- 838 babies, 521 per million girls
- Best rank
- #101 in 1880
- Most babies: 838 in 2025
- Babies since 1880
- At least 37,270
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,930 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,462 per million |
| 1900s | 988 per million |
| 1910s | 649 per million |
| 1920s | 420 per million |
| 1930s | 191 per million |
| 1940s | 89 per million |
| 1950s | 61 per million |
| 1960s | 54 per million |
| 1970s | 40 per million |
| 1980s | 21 per million |
| 1990s | 27 per million |
| 2000s | 93 per million |
| 2010s | 299 per million |
| 2020s | 451 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #496 | #522 | #489 | #448 | #478 | #466 | #417 | #439 | #411 | #365 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Matilda
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MafaldaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MathildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MathildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MatildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MatyldaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MaudStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MaudeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MechthildStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- TildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- TillieStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
Names spelled like Matilda
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MaitildeMighty in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MajidaGlorious (Arabic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- AngusOne strength (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
- GabrielaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GabriellaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GertrudeSpear of strength (Germanic, girl)
- HildeBattle (Germanic, girl)
- AlcidesStrength (Greek, boy)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
Middle names for Matilda
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
Matilda: common questions
What does the name Matilda mean?
Matilda comes from Germanic and means "strength in battle".
Is Matilda a boy or girl name?
Matilda is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Matilda come from?
Matilda comes from Germanic and means "strength in battle". Today it is used in English, Scandinavian, Scottish and German.
How do you pronounce Matilda?
Say ma-TIL-dah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Matilda?
Matilda ranked #365 in the US in 2025, with 838 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Matilda?
Forms of Matilda with the same meaning and origin include Mafalda (Portuguese), Mathilda (German), Mathilde (French), Matilde (Italian) and Matylda (Polish).
What middle names go with Matilda?
Middle names that flow well with Matilda include Eliza, Esme, Iris, June and Leigh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.