Matilda

Matilda comes from the Germanic name Mahthilt, meaning “strength in battle,” from maht “might, strength” and hilt “battle.” Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler, and the name was common among European royalty in the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where William the Conqueror’s wife bore it, and another famous royal bearer was Henry I of England’s daughter, known as the Empress Matilda after her marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V; she later invaded England and helped pave the way for her son Henry II. In England the name was especially popular until the 15th century, usually in the vernacular form Maud, and both forms were revived in the 19th century. It also appears in the Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda, written in 1895.

Matilda rose from #411 to #365 for girls between 2024 and 2025. That year also produced its highest recorded birth count, at 838.