Matilda

Did you know?

A few things about Matilda you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Matilda

Matilda Joslyn Gage

American writer, Native American civil rights activist, abolitionist, freethinker

Choose Matilda and your child shares a first name with Matilda Joslyn Gage, an American writer, Native American civil rights activist, abolitionist, freethinker. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Matilda, like who?” Matilda Joslyn Gage's Wikipedia article is available in 37 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Matilda Joslyn Gage on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,918 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Matilda, 838 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Matilda would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryMatilda has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Matildas, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1880, when it ranked #100. Today it's #364, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowMatilda is 12× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 23,256 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 1,918.
• 🚀TrendMatilda has climbed 114 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #364. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedMatilda is most popular in Washington, D.C., where it ranks #150, followed by Oregon (#181) and Washington (#196). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Germanic, Matilda means “mighty in battle”. Our records link it to English, French and German roots.

About the name Matilda

Matilda is a girl name of English, French and German origin meaning “mighty in battle”. It has 7 letters and 3 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-lda”. US birth records list Matilda for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked #100 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #364, with 838 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesGerman namesOld German names