MiaLen's list "Alternatives to Matilda" of 3 great name ideas: Agnes - Dorothea!

Alternatives to Matilda

Matilda is the kind of name that could belong to a medieval warrior princess or a bookish Roald Dahl character. Here are some alternatives!

Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos, meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as a girl's name. Agnes Grey is the title of one of the two novels written by Anne Brontë.
 
Agnes, though it was the third most common English girls' name for four hundred years, has long been stuck in the attic. But now it looks like Agnes was so far out it's just about ready to come back in. It did look cute on a little girl in Despicable Me, and nickname Aggie has lots of retro appeal. 
 Agnes has also been making inroads in the celebrisphere—first actress Elisabeth Shue chose Agnes for her third child, while Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany named their daughter Agnes Lark. More recently in 2025, actress Amber Heard named one of her twins Agnes.
 The French pronunciation—ahn-YEZ—could make it more attractive, but few Americans would comply. Other interesting variations: the Welsh Nesta, the Latin/Scandinavian Agneta, the Spanish Inez/Ines/Ynez, and the Scottish Senga—which happens to be Agnes spelled backwards.

Agnes

Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava.
 A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on the hit parade of names. Its popularity then was inspired by a Tennyson poem, of which the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Princess Ida, was a "respectful operatic perversion."
 Ida hasn't been in the Top 1000 since the 1980s, but we do see it as slated to rise again. It is hugely popular right now in Scandinavia and German-speaking parts — Top 100 in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Austria — where it's pronounced EE-da.
 Ida appears in Greek and Hindu mythology; Mount Ida, on Crete, is considered the birthplace of the god Zeus. Journalist Ida B. Wells was its most well-known bearer in the US.

Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since 1970, however it's definitely on the brink of a revival! In fact, it has already been making its way back into the UK Top 1000, and a recent year saw it given to 90 girls in the US — three times the number it was given to a decade prior. 
 
A relative of Dorothy, Theodore, and Theodora, Dorothea is comprised of the same Greek elements, doron and theos, meaning "gift" and "god". It has has a long literary history, including as a clever and beautiful character in Don Quixote and the intelligent and generous heroine of George Eliot's Middlemarch.
 Worthy namesakes include Dorothea Dix, nineteenth century activist for the mentally ill and Civil War nurse, and the influential documentary photographer Dorothea Lange, known for her moving portraits taken during the Great Depression. It is also a saint name, borne by Dorothea of Alexandria, Dorothea of Caesarea (the patron saint of florists), and Dorothea of Montau (saint and visionary). 
 Appealing nickname possibilities include Dorrie, Dolly, Doro, Dodie, Dot, Dottie and Thea, while international variants include the Spanish Dorotea, the Czech and Polish Dorota, and the Hungarian Dorina.
 
In English, the name would likely be pronounced as dawr-uh-THEE-uh, while in German, it is said as do-ro-TEH-a