Thilda
A feminine given name derived from Old Norse words meaning "battle" and "strength".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Thilda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Thilda today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thilda births was 1894 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thilda. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Thilda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1894
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1921 SSA rank
#5,785
Tracked since 1894
Popularity
Thilda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thilda from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1890s peak, Thilda remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thilda 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 Thilda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Thilda
The name Thilda is believed to have originated from the Old English name Þylda, which is derived from the Old English word "þylde," meaning "patience" or "endurance." This name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, spanning from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
Thilda was a relatively common name among Anglo-Saxon women, particularly in the medieval period. It was often associated with the virtues of patience, perseverance, and resilience. The name's spelling has evolved over time, with variations such as Thylda, Thilda, and Thilda emerging.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thilda can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical record, a woman named Thilda is mentioned as a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Thilda. One such figure was Thilda of Kensington (c. 1080-1130), an English noblewoman who was known for her philanthropy and support of religious institutions. Another notable Thilda was Thilda of Swabia (c. 1150-1220), a German princess and abbess who played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of her time.
In the literary realm, the name Thilda appeared in the Middle English romance "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," written in the late 14th century. In this work, Thilda is portrayed as a virtuous and patient character, reflecting the name's symbolic meaning.
During the Renaissance period, Thilda Trevisan (1451-1519), an Italian humanist and scholar, gained recognition for her contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy. Her works were widely circulated and influenced intellectual discourse in Europe.
Another notable figure was Thilda von Bingen (1098-1179), a German Benedictine abbess, philosopher, composer, and visionary. She was a prominent figure in the intellectual and spiritual life of the 12th century and is revered for her writings on mysticism, natural sciences, and music.
While the name Thilda experienced periods of popularity and decline over the centuries, it has persisted as a significant part of various cultural traditions, carrying with it the symbolic meanings of patience, endurance, and resilience.
People
Thilda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thilda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Thilda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thilda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thilda 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 - US residents.
Is Thilda a common name?
We classify Thilda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thilda most popular?
The single biggest year for Thilda was 1894, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thilda is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Thilda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thilda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thilda 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.
Is Thilda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thilda in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Thilda can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Thilda?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.