Matilda
Girl name · #364 in 2025 · Distinctive
Matilda is currently the #364 girl name in the United States — 838 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #534, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,148 girls born in 2025 was named Matilda.
The 145-year story
Matilda first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 210 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 838 babies and a rank of #364. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Matilda per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Matilda against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Matilda in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Matilda is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Matilda is most common
Geography matters for names, and Matilda is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Matilda is most common in OR (1.5 per 1,000), WA (1.3 per 1,000), MA (1.1 per 1,000), IN (1.1 per 1,000), MO (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Matilda is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Matilda
Matilda carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Matilda family went to about 1,389 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #221, versus #364 for Matilda alone.
Names like Matilda
Statistically, parents drawn to Matilda tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mira, Zelda, Adelina, Maryam, and Luciana.
MiraZeldaAdelinaMaryamLucianaCamillaAureliaJulieta
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Matilda | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 838 | #364 |
| 2024 | 773 | #410 |
| 2023 | 708 | #438 |
| 2022 | 758 | #417 |
| 2021 | 673 | #465 |
| 2020 | 640 | #478 |
| 2019 | 696 | #448 |
| 2018 | 643 | #489 |
| 2017 | 599 | #521 |
| 2016 | 631 | #496 |
| 2015 | 583 | #534 |
| 2014 | 523 | #581 |
| 2013 | 437 | #647 |
| 2012 | 433 | #657 |
| 2011 | 353 | #770 |
| 2010 | 343 | #797 |
| 2009 | 375 | #760 |
| 2008 | 344 | #825 |
| 2007 | 201 | #1233 |
| 2006 | 180 | #1299 |
| 2005 | 124 | #1624 |
| 2004 | 94 | #1972 |
| 2003 | 105 | #1786 |
| 2002 | 111 | #1654 |
| 2001 | 100 | #1777 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Matilda a popular girl name?
Matilda ranked #364 among girls in 2025 with 838 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #534.
When was the name Matilda most popular?
Matilda peaked in 2025, when 838 American girls received the name (ranked #364 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Matilda?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,148 newborn American girls was named Matilda. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.