Mathilda
Mathilda was the 4423rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 32 babies. Its best year was 1883, when it ranked 168th; the most babies were born in 1918 (180). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,223 places. More babies were named Mathilda in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Matilda) might + battle · Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #4,423 girls, down 94 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 32girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1918180 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,527babies recorded
What does the name Mathilda mean?
Mathilda is a spelling of Matilda, pronounced the same way, so it shares Matilda's meaning and origin.
Matilda comes from the Germanic name Mahthild, from maht, "might, strength", and hiltja, "battle", as DMNES gives under Mathilda. It came to England with Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, and DMNES lists several English queens of the name; the English short form was Maud. The Random House dictionary notes Empress Matilda (Maud), daughter of Henry I.
maht (Old High German, “might, strength”)hiltja (Old High German, “battle”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Maud, Mathilda, Tilly, Mattie.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean strength, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Matilda', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mathilda', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Matilda', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Mathilda popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,423 | 32 |
| 2020 | #4,329 | 32 |
| 2010 | #4,368 | 34 |
| 2000 | #6,386 | 17 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #4,959 | 11 |
| 1960 | #4,361 | 10 |
| 1950 | #3,164 | 12 |
| 1940 | #1,573 | 25 |
| 1930 | #1,080 | 47 |
| 1920 | #595 | 146 |
| 1910 | #405 | 95 |
| 1900 | #314 | 113 |
| 1890 | #201 | 138 |
| 1880 | #177 | 72 |
How popular is Mathilda, counting every spelling?
Mathilda is a spelling of Matilda, a name family that ranked #380 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,423 for Mathilda on its own. Together these spellings went to 870 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda | 838 | #365 | 3,750 |
| Mathilda | 32 | #4,423 | 170 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Mathilda?
32 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mathilda (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Mathilda born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 261 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mathilda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mathilda?
About 1,300 people born in the US named Mathilda are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 10 and 62. That makes Mathilda mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Mathilda by state
How common Mathilda was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mathilda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mathilda, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Mathilda
What does Mathilda mean?
Mathilda is a spelling of Matilda, which means “might + battle” (Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Mathilda?
Mathilda was the 4423rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 32 babies. Its best year was 1883, when it ranked 168th; the most babies were born in 1918 (180). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,223 places. More babies were named Mathilda in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Mathilda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Mathilda in the US.
Where is Mathilda most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mathilda was most common in Washington (0.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Illinois.