Mathilda
A feminine name derived from Germanic elements meaning "mighty in battle".
Name Census estimates that about 1,295 living Americans carry the first name Mathilda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mathilda today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mathilda births was 1918 (180 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mathilda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 264,675 Americans
Peak year
1918
180 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,609
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Mathilda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mathilda from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 1,357 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mathilda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mathilda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mathildas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. Pennsylvania, New York, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Mathilda, while Kentucky, Indiana, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 99 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mathilda
Mathilda is a feminine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German elements "maat" meaning "might" or "strength" and "hild" meaning "battle." It is a variation of the name Matilda, which gained popularity across Europe in the Middle Ages.
The name Mathilda is believed to have emerged in the 8th or 9th century AD and was initially used by nobility and royalty in various Germanic regions, including present-day Germany, the Netherlands, and England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Matilda, the daughter of the English King Henry I, who lived from 1102 to 1167.
In the 12th century, the name Mathilda gained prominence through Matilda of England, who was also known as the Empress Matilda or Matilda of Anjou. She was a claimant to the English throne during the Anarchy, a civil war that lasted from 1135 to 1153. Her struggle for power and her role in the conflict contributed to the widespread recognition of the name.
Another notable historical figure with the name Mathilda was Mathilda of Tuscany (1046-1115), a wealthy and influential woman who played a significant role in the Investiture Controversy between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. She was a staunch supporter of Pope Gregory VII and fought against the German emperor Henry IV.
In the 13th century, Mathilda of Brandenburg (1210-1261) was a German princess and the landgravine of Thuringia through her marriage to Henry Raspe, the anti-king of Germany during the Great Interregnum. She was a powerful and influential figure in her own right.
During the Renaissance period, Mathilda of Canossa (1046-1115), also known as Matilda of Tuscany, was a prominent Italian noblewoman and one of the most powerful and wealthy individuals in Europe at the time. She was a major supporter of the Papacy and played a crucial role in the Investiture Controversy.
These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who bore the name Mathilda, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mathilda
People
Mathilda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mathilda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mathilda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mathilda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,295 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mathilda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 264,675 US residents.
Is Mathilda a common name?
We classify Mathilda as "Rare". It ranks above 91.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7,495 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mathilda most popular?
The single biggest year for Mathilda was 1918, when 180 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mathilda is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mathilda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mathilda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.