Matilda

See also: matilda

English

An ad for Matilda the Musical, in London, UK.

Alternative forms

• Mathilda

Etymology

From Middle English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German Mahthilt, Mehthilt, from Proto-West Germanic *Mahtihild, from Proto-Germanic *Mahtihildiz; compare German Mechthild, Old English Mæþhild (“Matilda”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /məˈtɪldə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Proper noun

Matilda

1. A female given name from the Germanic languages.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 13:

     But wondrously begotten, and begonne / By false illusion of a guilefull Spright, / On a faire Ladie Nonne, that whilome hight / Matilda, daughter to Pubidius, […]

   • 1844, George Payne Rainsford James, Rose D'Albret, Or, Troublous Times, a Romance, Harper, page 20:

     Countess of Laussitz - Matilda, too, by the mark! A good name, a marvellous good name, is not, Algernon? Musical, pretty, soft, smoothing, loveable. - - - many a fair prospect is spoiled by the mistake in the name. Call Matilda Joan, or Louisa Deborah, and you are ruined forever!

   • 1990, Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth, .Stories, →ISBN, page 187:

     At one time Joan invented other names for her. 'Matilda' brought to mind dingy curtains, gray tent flaps, a slack-skinned old woman. How about Sharon? Lilliane? Elizabeth? Then, Joan didn't know how, the name Matilda became transformed. It started shining like silver. The "il" in it was silver. But not metallic. In Joan's mind the name gleamed now like a fold of satin.

Derived terms

• Fort Matilda
• Matilda effect
• Matildine

Related terms

• variants: Maud, Maude, Maudie
• pet forms: Mattie, Matty, Tilda, Tillie, Tilly

Translations

female given name, cognates and transliterations

• Bengali: ম্যাটিল্ডা (maeṭilḍa)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 瑪蒂爾達 / 玛蒂尔达 (Mǎdì'ěrdá)

• Czech: Matylda (cs) f
• Danish: Mathilde
• Esperanto: Matilda
• Finnish: Matilda (fi)
• French: Mathilde (fr)
• German: Mathilde, Mechthild (de)

  Old High German: Mehthilt

• Greek: Ματθίλδη (el) f (Matthíldi)
• Hungarian: Matild (hu), Matilda (hu)
• Italian: Matilde (it)
• Marathi: मटिल्डा (maṭilḍā)
• Norwegian: Mathilde (no)
• Old English: Mæþhild
• Polish: Matylda (pl) f
• Portuguese: Matilde (pt) f, Matilda f
• Russian: Мати́льда (ru) f (Matílʹda)
• Spanish: Matilde (es)
• Swedish: Matilda (sv)
• Walloon: Matile (wa)

Noun

Matilda (plural Matildas)

1. (UK, military, historical) Either of two British infantry tanks in use during World War II, the Infantry Tank Mark I or Infantry Tank Mark II.
2. (Australia, historical) A swag or bluey carried by a swagman or swagwoman.
   • 1895, “Waltzing Matilda”, Banjo Paterson (lyrics)‎^[1]:

     Oh there once was a swagman camped in the billabong,
     Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
     And he sang as he looked at the old billy boiling,
     'Who'll come a'waltzing Matilda, with me.'

Synonyms

• (infantry tank): Matilda I, Matilda II

Faroese

Proper noun

Matilda f

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• Matilda's son: Matilduson
• Matilda's daughter: Matildudóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Matilda
accusative	Matilda
dative	Matilda
genitive	Matildu

Finnish

Etymology

From English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German Mahthilt (meaning something like “powerful warrioress”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtildɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝t̪ildɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑtildɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Ma‧til‧da
• Hyphenation^(key): Ma‧til‧da

Proper noun

Matilda

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Matilda

Declension

Inflection of Matilda (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		Matilda	Matildat
genitive		Matildan	Matildojen
partitive		Matildaa	Matildoja
illative		Matildaan	Matildoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Matilda	Matildat
accusative	nom.	Matilda	Matildat
	gen.	Matildan
genitive		Matildan	Matildojen Matildain rare
partitive		Matildaa	Matildoja
inessive		Matildassa	Matildoissa
elative		Matildasta	Matildoista
illative		Matildaan	Matildoihin
adessive		Matildalla	Matildoilla
ablative		Matildalta	Matildoilta
allative		Matildalle	Matildoille
essive		Matildana	Matildoina
translative		Matildaksi	Matildoiksi
abessive		Matildatta	Matildoitta
instructive		—	Matildoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Matilda (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Matildani Matildani accusative nom. Matildani Matildani gen. Matildani genitive Matildani Matildojeni Matildaini rare partitive Matildaani Matildojani inessive Matildassani Matildoissani elative Matildastani Matildoistani illative Matildaani Matildoihini adessive Matildallani Matildoillani ablative Matildaltani Matildoiltani allative Matildalleni Matildoilleni essive Matildanani Matildoinani translative Matildakseni Matildoikseni abessive Matildattani Matildoittani instructive — — comitative — Matildoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Matildasi Matildasi accusative nom. Matildasi Matildasi gen. Matildasi genitive Matildasi Matildojesi Matildaisi rare partitive Matildaasi Matildojasi inessive Matildassasi Matildoissasi elative Matildastasi Matildoistasi illative Matildaasi Matildoihisi adessive Matildallasi Matildoillasi ablative Matildaltasi Matildoiltasi allative Matildallesi Matildoillesi essive Matildanasi Matildoinasi translative Matildaksesi Matildoiksesi abessive Matildattasi Matildoittasi instructive — — comitative — Matildoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Matildamme Matildamme accusative nom. Matildamme Matildamme gen. Matildamme genitive Matildamme Matildojemme Matildaimme rare partitive Matildaamme Matildojamme inessive Matildassamme Matildoissamme elative Matildastamme Matildoistamme illative Matildaamme Matildoihimme adessive Matildallamme Matildoillamme ablative Matildaltamme Matildoiltamme allative Matildallemme Matildoillemme essive Matildanamme Matildoinamme translative Matildaksemme Matildoiksemme abessive Matildattamme Matildoittamme instructive — — comitative — Matildoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Matildanne Matildanne accusative nom. Matildanne Matildanne gen. Matildanne genitive Matildanne Matildojenne Matildainne rare partitive Matildaanne Matildojanne inessive Matildassanne Matildoissanne elative Matildastanne Matildoistanne illative Matildaanne Matildoihinne adessive Matildallanne Matildoillanne ablative Matildaltanne Matildoiltanne allative Matildallenne Matildoillenne essive Matildananne Matildoinanne translative Matildaksenne Matildoiksenne abessive Matildattanne Matildoittanne instructive — — comitative — Matildoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Matildansa Matildansa accusative nom. Matildansa Matildansa gen. Matildansa genitive Matildansa Matildojensa Matildainsa rare partitive Matildaansa Matildojaan Matildojansa inessive Matildassaan Matildassansa Matildoissaan Matildoissansa elative Matildastaan Matildastansa Matildoistaan Matildoistansa illative Matildaansa Matildoihinsa adessive Matildallaan Matildallansa Matildoillaan Matildoillansa ablative Matildaltaan Matildaltansa Matildoiltaan Matildoiltansa allative Matildalleen Matildallensa Matildoilleen Matildoillensa essive Matildanaan Matildanansa Matildoinaan Matildoinansa translative Matildakseen Matildaksensa Matildoikseen Matildoiksensa abessive Matildattaan Matildattansa Matildoittaan Matildoittansa instructive — — comitative — Matildoineen Matildoinensa

Related terms

• Tilda

Statistics

• Matilda is the 162^nd most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 4,161 female individuals (and as a middle name to 19,031 more, making it more common as a middle name), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German maht, meht (“might”) + hild, hilta (“battle”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈt͡ʃiw.dɐ/ [maˈt͡ʃiʊ̯.dɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɐˈtil.dɐ/ [mɐˈtiɫ.dɐ]

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -iwdɐ, (Portugal) -ildɐ
• Hyphenation: Ma‧til‧da

Proper noun

Matilda f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Matilda

See also

• Matilde

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /matilda/, [ˈmatilda]
• Rhymes: -ilda
• Hyphenation: Ma‧til‧da

Proper noun

Matilda f (diminutive Matildka or Matilka or Tilduška)

1. a female given name

Declension

Declension of Matilda
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	Matilda	Matildy
genitive	Matildy	Matíld
dative	Matilde	Matildám
accusative	Matildu	Matildy
locative	Matilde	Matildách
instrumental	Matildou	Matildami

Derived terms

Hypocoristics

• Matila
• Tilda

Further reading

• “Matilda”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈtilda/ [maˈt̪il̪.d̪a]
• Rhymes: -ilda
• Syllabification: Ma‧til‧da

Proper noun

Matilda f

1. a female given name

Swedish

Alternative forms

• Mathilda

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Matilda c (genitive Matildas)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Matilda

Related terms

• Maud, Tilda, Tilde