Tillie
Tillie was the 1269th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 177 babies. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked 148th; the most babies were born in 1915 (499). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,316 places. More babies were named Tillie in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Tilly) pet form of Matilda (might + battle) · Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #1,269 girls, up 511 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 177girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1915499 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,765babies recorded
What does the name Tillie mean?
Tillie is a spelling of Tilly, pronounced the same way, so it shares Tilly's meaning and origin.
Tilly is a pet form of Matilda, according to Wiktionary. Matilda comes from the Germanic name Mahthild, which DMNES explains as maht, "might", and hiltja, "battle". Wiktionary also notes a separate surname Tilly from French places of that name. Tillie is another spelling of the pet form.
maht (Old High German, “might”)hiltja (Old High German, “battle”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Matilda, Tillie, Mattie.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean strength, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Tilly', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mathilda', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Tillie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 27 since 1909.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,269 | 177 |
| 2020 | #1,780 | 112 |
| 2010 | #5,962 | 23 |
| 2000 | #5,925 | 19 |
| 1990 | #7,277 | 12 |
| 1980 | #4,314 | 18 |
| 1970 | #4,474 | 13 |
| 1960 | #2,428 | 25 |
| 1950 | #1,675 | 32 |
| 1940 | #789 | 81 |
| 1930 | #559 | 148 |
| 1920 | #343 | 365 |
| 1910 | #260 | 219 |
| 1900 | #223 | 201 |
| 1890 | #167 | 207 |
| 1880 | #160 | 83 |
How popular is Tillie, counting every spelling?
Tillie is a spelling of Tilly, a name family that ranked #558 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,269 for Tillie on its own. Together these spellings went to 538 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilly | 302 | #885 | 1,286 |
| Tillie | 177 | #1,269 | 832 |
| Tilley | 32 | #4,449 | 129 |
| Tyleah | 12 | #8,820 | 92 |
| Tylie | 15 | #7,461 | 80 |
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 Tillie?
177 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Tillie (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Tillie 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 47 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Tillie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Tillie?
About 3,000 people born in the US named Tillie are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 5 and 69. That makes Tillie 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.
Tillie by state
How common Tillie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Tennessee (2.9×), Kentucky (2.9×), Alabama (2.4×), North Carolina (1.8×), Missouri (1.7×). In 27 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 Tillie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Tillie, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Tillie
What does Tillie mean?
Tillie is a spelling of Tilly, which means “pet form of Matilda (might + battle)” (Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Tillie?
Tillie was the 1269th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 177 babies. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked 148th; the most babies were born in 1915 (499). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,316 places. More babies were named Tillie in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Tillie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Tillie in the US.
Where is Tillie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Tillie was most common in Iowa (0.33 per 1,000 girls), followed by Tennessee and Kentucky.