Matilda

About Matilda

Matilda is a Germanic name meaning “strength in battle.” Its history includes medieval queens and a disputed English succession, while Roald Dahl's book gave it a memorable young literary heroine. The fuller Matilda sits alongside the much shorter related form Maud.

Meaning and familiar forms

The older name Mahthilt combines maht, meaning “might” or “strength,” with hilt, meaning “battle.” The Normans brought it to England, and William the Conqueror's wife bore the name.

Maud became a familiar medieval English form. Both Matilda and Maud experienced renewed interest in the nineteenth century, preserving different shapes from the same name family. Mathilde and Matilde are further international relatives.

In English, Matilda is usually muh-TIL-duh, with three syllables and emphasis in the middle. Tilda and Tillie are familiar shorter forms. The full name combines a soft opening with a firm central consonant group and a clear final vowel.

Mattie and Tilly are further familiar forms of Matilda.

Empress Matilda

One important medieval bearer was the daughter of Henry I of England. Known as Empress Matilda after her marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V, she became a central figure in the struggle over the English crown.

After Henry I's death, his nephew Stephen became king despite Matilda's rival claim. The resulting conflict brought years of instability. Matilda's son eventually succeeded as Henry II in 1154, beginning the Angevin line of English kings.

Her story gives the name a specific political history rather than simply a general royal association. The medieval Matilda was involved in questions of inheritance, authority, and whether a woman could secure a contested throne.

Dahl's extraordinary reader

Dahl's Matilda, published in 1988 with illustrations by Quentin Blake, introduces Matilda Wormwood, a child whose intelligence and love of books go largely unappreciated at home. Her parents see her as a nuisance, and school brings another formidable adult in Miss Trunchbull.

Miss Honey offers a different relationship, recognizing and encouraging Matilda's abilities. The child's growing understanding of her unusual powers becomes connected with her teacher's story and with resistance to bullying.

The book gives Matilda an association with reading, ingenuity, and a child's determination to change difficult circumstances. That character is distinct from the name's medieval bearers, but adds another strong narrative to its long history.

Matilda on stage

The Royal Shakespeare Company's musical adaptation first appeared in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010. With a book by Dennis Kelly and songs by Tim Minchin, it brought the story into live theatre. The production won seven Olivier Awards in 2012, extending the heroine's recognition beyond readers of the novel.

American popularity

Matilda rose from seventy-eight girls in 2000 to 343 in 2010. Its largest annual American count came in 2025, with 838 girls at #365. Its best historical ranking was #101 in 1880. Those records show both nineteenth-century familiarity and a substantial modern revival.

How popular is Matilda?

In 2025, Matilda ranked #365 among girls in the United States, with 838 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 838 in 2025. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.