MATILDA  

Gender: F
Origin: German
Meaning: "battle-mighty"

Popularity in 2008: #829

A "so far out it's in" favorite, just back in the Top 1,000 after an absence of 45 years. The comeback of this name of the charming Roald Dahl heroine was assured when Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger chose it for their daughter. It has two great nicknames: Tillie for the bold, Mattie for the shy.

Variations:
Mattie, Mathilda, Maud, Tilde, Maudie, Mat, Makilde, Mahilda, Malkin, Matti, Tilli, Tillie, Maude, Tildie, Tildy, Tilly, Matty

International Variations:
Mala, Tylda, Tila, Matylda, Macia (Czech) Mathilde (French) Mette, Mechtilde (German) Matelda, Mafalda (Italian) Matusha, Mati, Tilda, Matilde (Spanish)

People who like Matilda also like:

Anais, Nora, Stella, Aurora, Gemma, June, Lila, Olive, Paloma, Everett, Miles, Nathaniel, Silas, Sebastian, Auden

Matilda is being discussed in our message boards:

• How Important is following a sibset?
• Best of British - some Telegraph birth announcements
• what do YOU think of ...
• I would love to know what you think
• JILL!!

Read Nameberry blog posts about Matilda:

• OLD LADY NAMES: Ready for the Next Wave?
• NO EXPIRATION DATE ON NAMES
• WHO ARE THE MOST POPULAR ENGLISH GIRLS?
• EXOTIC LITE: Girls' Edition
• HEY, JUDE: Names from the Beatles and beyond