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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Thoughts on the baby name Tilda?

79 replies

LouiseDeyes · 09/07/2025 18:49

Hi all,

I’m expecting and have been going round and round with names, but I keep coming back to Tilda. It’s the shortened version of a nickname my grandfather gave me throughout my life, it’s always had such a warm, personal meaning for me. I feel really connected to it in a way no other name has matched.

I guess I’m just wondering how people perceive the name? Do you see it as too old-fashioned, incomplete, or quirky? I want to go with what feels right, but I’d love to hear how others might react to it, especially in real life settings.

Thanks in advance ❤️

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HugoYorway · 09/07/2025 22:13

There's Tilda and Vesta's sister Laila too, and their cousin Jasmine.

TheChosenTwo · 09/07/2025 21:53

Very ricey to me but I’ve never heard of tilda Swinton until this thread or any other Tilda’s!

tartyflette · 09/07/2025 21:51

Biscuitburglar · 09/07/2025 21:46

Definitely rice. 99% of people who come across her will nod politely when introduced but silently be wondering why the hell her parents named her after rice. If you have a boy later you could call him Vesta! Sorry.

Vesta is a girl's name! Used in one of the James Bond books, afaicr.
See slso Vesta Tilley, music hall star of the late 19th/early 20th century.

Teacupover5 · 09/07/2025 21:46

My late MIL was Matilda aka Mattie -what a woman ❤️xx

Biscuitburglar · 09/07/2025 21:46

Definitely rice. 99% of people who come across her will nod politely when introduced but silently be wondering why the hell her parents named her after rice. If you have a boy later you could call him Vesta! Sorry.

MyUmberSeal · 09/07/2025 21:44

Oh that’s definitely rice. I mean it’s decent rice, but still rice.

roshi42 · 09/07/2025 21:44

Met a 1 year old Tilda in the play park just the other day! She was a Matilda but they were calling her Tilda - her big brother was telling me all about her, sweet.

HugoYorway · 09/07/2025 21:43

It's popular in Spain too Wink
Comes in handy for finding home in Unix.

Lunde · 09/07/2025 21:40

Tilda is very popular in the Scandi countries as is Tilde (Pronounce Til-duh)

as well as Matilda, Matilde, Mathilda and Mathilde

VehicleTracker77 · 09/07/2025 21:38

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Vivienne1000 · 09/07/2025 21:36

We have a few Tildas at our school - I like the name and the kids can shorten it to Tilly, Tils, etc x

yonem · 09/07/2025 21:34

Rice

I’d do Matilda and Tilly for short

winewine · 09/07/2025 21:31

Rice

CatAsstrophe · 09/07/2025 21:28

Tilda - Rice

Uncle Ben - Rice

Ben - Ben

😁

CaptainMyCaptain · 09/07/2025 21:23

Rice.

EveryOtherNameTaken · 09/07/2025 21:22

Rice.

RareMaker · 09/07/2025 20:56

Rice

Olika · 09/07/2025 20:56

I find it old fashioned

Allthesnowallthetime · 09/07/2025 20:55

I like it !

Am very fond of rice though.

user2848502016 · 09/07/2025 20:54

I like it, but also might go Matilda on birth certificate

LucasBuck · 09/07/2025 20:53

I don’t think the rice brand is a big deal but I do think most people will think it’s short for Matilda, as there aren’t many girls with the given name Tilda each year (only 14 in 2023 for example) compared with over a thousand Matilda’s each year. I think the sound is nice enough though (Tilda sounds vaguely Scandi to me for some reason, even though it isn’t! maybe because it reminds me of Tuva or Thyra), and I guess it’s not a huge deal to have to say “No, it’s just Tilda” every so often.

MyRootinTootinBaby · 09/07/2025 20:28

I love it.

tinytemper66 · 09/07/2025 20:24

Rice

Marmite27 · 09/07/2025 20:08

We have a Matilda, nickname Tilda (never Tillie) in our circle. She’s aware of the rice brand, but other than a few jokes of, ‘pass a packet of me’ it’s not really a consideration.

As far as I know, she was named after Tilda Swinton as mum wanted a Narnia name, but they couldn’t agree on Lucy and Susan is already a family name, Jadis was too out there and Tumnus was vetoed Grin

There are lots of Tilda’s out there, it’s really ordinary.

PickledMuffin · 09/07/2025 20:03

I love it, didn’t think of rice until others mentioned it.

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