[name_m]How[/name_m] usable do you think [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is? I really like it but my s/o is not so certain about it. His mind goes right to the movie that was really popular when we were kids and he also thinks it sounds “witchy” like [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Hilda[/name_f], etc.
I’m slowly getting him on board but he’s sort of convincing me that it’s weird and unusable. I’ve never met anyone named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] but that makes it a bit more desirable to me, but also makes me question its usability? I like the nickname [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] okay but I wouldn’t want her to go by that until she’s old enough to decide her own nickname preference.
What do you think? The combo I’m leaning towards is [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f].
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is definitely usable! It is a bit old-fashioned, but between the movie and more current pop-culture references (for instance, the late actor [name_m]Heath[/name_m] [name_m]Ledger[/name_m] used this name for his daughter), the “dusty” image is for sure falling off.
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is gorgeous! My great-grandmother was [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f], which I always found beautiful
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is a top 500 name in the US and a top 100 name (in most cases much higher) in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m], Australia, Chile, Finland, [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand, [name_f]Scotland[/name_f], and [name_u]Sweden[/name_u]. It also ranks at #146 in [name_f]Italy[/name_f]. So yes, [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is extremely usable.
Maybe usable isn’t the word I should be using for this question. At an average of 12 girls named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] per state born in 2016, it definitely falls into the category of used albeit rare. Compared to an average of 350+ girls per state named [name_f]Emma[/name_f] in 2016, it feels like there is potential to be giving her a name that is seen as odd or even a name with an attached persona. Maybe I am overthinking it or maybe my s/o has scared me out of using it and maybe I just answered my own question, haha.
I don’t think it sounds witchy at all, actually. To me it suits so many images, from mighty medieval warrior queen or noble woman to modern day ambitious lawyer or a historian professor, but witch is not one of those images at all. [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], maybe, but not [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is really lovely.
A friend of my friend is a [name_f]Mathilda[/name_f] nn [name_f]Hilda[/name_f], she studied design graphic. And another that I know - a [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] nn [name_u]Matty[/name_u], I don’t know too much about her, except she’s a really nice person, a polyglot and has beautiful singing voice. I really like [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] too, I think it’s super cute.
I think that [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is completely usable, but I understand your concern. While it may be rare, it’s still quite well-known so you likely won’t have spelling issues and such. I don’t think it’s weird at all.
[name_f]Tilly[/name_f] is also adorable! I know a [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] ‘[name_f]Tilly[/name_f]’ who has as younger brother [name_m]Edward[/name_m] ‘Ted’, [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and Ted, which I think is quite sweet. I plan on using [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] as a middle for my first daughter (my top name at the moment is [name_f]Florence[/name_f] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_u]Story[/name_u]).
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is very sweet. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like:
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is up-and-coming and therefore very usable. It wouldn’t surprise me if it ended up achieving anything from mainstream usage to outright popularity within the next few years. It’s been in the top 1000 since 2008, steadily climbing, and broke into the top 500 in 2016.
For context, this means there were more babies named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] born in 2016 than babies named [name_f]Karen[/name_f], [name_u]Kelly[/name_u], [name_f]Holly[/name_f], [name_u]Meredith[/name_u], [name_u]Sasha[/name_u], [name_f]Brittany[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f], [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Monica[/name_f], or [name_f]Elaine[/name_f].
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is gorgeous.
I think [name_u]Mattie[/name_u] and [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] are sweet diminutives and I love [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] as well. It reminds me of [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] Swindon.
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is gorgeous.
I think [name_u]Mattie[/name_u] and [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] are sweet diminutives and I love [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] as well. It reminds me of [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] Swindon.
It’s certainly not unheard of, and it’s not a one person name either. [name_m]Just[/name_m] glance at [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]'s name page and look at the Famous People with this Name section— it’s a really long list.
And the math on your previous post is a little confusing. Sure, there might have been 12 girls per state named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] just last year, but that’s not counting the Matildas born the year before that, and the year before that, etc. It might not be as infectiously popular as [name_f]Emma[/name_f], but it’s still a name with its own history and roots.
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is lovely. It sounds sweet and girly. Not witchy at all.
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is totally usable, it’s cute, unique, and known. I know a girl around 16 years old who wears the name and goes by [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and she suits it perfectly. I’d love to meet a baby named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]!
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is very usable! A girl in my sorority was [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] “[name_u]Mattie[/name_u],” I much prefer [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] or [name_f]Millie[/name_f] as nicknames.
It’s bordering on unusable for me, but for the opposite reason - it’s number 18 here, and it feels like every other child I meet under the age of 5 is called [name_f]Matilda[/name_f].
It’s a family name for me (and the combo in my family is [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f], too :)), so I wish it were in the 400s here - I’d use it in a heartbeat if I lived in the US!
Right. But before last year, there were even less and before 2008 it was virtually unused since 1964 which even then it was ranked in the 900’s. I’m not doubting its history or roots, it just isn’t a name that has soared in popularity for 60+ years making me question how familiar it is, that’s all.
I love [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]. I wish it wasn’t as popular where I live as I would use it otherwise. It’s no.17 for girls here. I associate the name mostly with [name_m]Roald[/name_m] Dahl’s [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], who I think is the most awesome heroine. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] nn [name_f]Tilly[/name_f], [name_u]Mattie[/name_u] or [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] are all lovely.
I think it’s very usable. Everyone’s familiar with the name because of the book, and it sounds and looks “normal.” It also has accessible nicknames- [name_u]Mattie[/name_u], [name_f]Tillie[/name_f]. I love it
