Matilda??

[El91]

My partner and I have been set on the name Matilda for our baby girl due in May. I love it but after world book day yesterday my partner has been out off it slightly after seeing loads of kids dress up as Matilda from Roald Dahls Matilda 🤣
I’m worried now that when people hear her name she’ll be associated with the book/movie.

Also how popular is the name Matilda? I don’t know of any in my area but I read somewhere that it was quite a popular name.

I think there’s always been something quite gritty about Matilda. I imagine someone quite powerful, no-nonsense and dominant. I think it was there before the book, but probably why Dahl chose the name.
I know one of secondary age, if that helps.

It might remind people of the musical but that isn't a negative connotation. There are enough Matildas to mean it won't be the main association.

Roald Dahl's Matilda will always be associated with the name, but the name is so popular that it doesn't really matter. Like Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan.

If you are in England and Wales here are the stats for Matilda. It's been top hundred for quite some time and seems to be on a downwards trend. Personally the downward trend fits with my own perception that the name feels a bit tired and overdone now.

I love it, if she is a May baby Matilda May is beautiful

I love the name Matilda.

What's wrong with being associated with Matilda in Matilda? A brilliant character in a brilliant book.

And just a fabulous name 💫
strong, beautiful, a classic.

Yes I like it a lot.

Have you read Matilda? Why wouldnt you want to be associated with her?!

I associate it with the medieval Queen Matilda, a strong woman if ever there was one. It's a great name.

I love it and had always planned to call my daughter, if I had one, Matilda. Then when DD arrived the name didn’t suit her at all so she’s called something else.

It’s quite a popular name now - there are several I know of from little ones up to teens.

Ps you can’t really mitigate against a name potentially being associated with a fictional character at some point in your child’s life. My name was quite unusual - at least I’d never met another one - until an extremely popular book and then film series came out in my 20s with a main character with my name, at which point my name shot up in popularity/ visibility.

I know a 2 year old, a 10 year old, a 19 year old and a 56 year old Matilda...... none of them get their full name .....Tilda, Tilly and Matty

@Flockameanie

Ps you can’t really mitigate against a name potentially being associated with a fictional character at some point in your child’s life. My name was quite unusual - at least I’d never met another one - until an extremely popular book and then film series came out in my 20s with a main character with my name, at which point my name shot up in popularity/ visibility.

Hermione

Gorgeous name!

Matilda is a lovely character and book to be associated with.
Also any name has the risk of being the next big name from a Disney film or a tv series or book etc at any time after they’re born/in their lifetime.
Just look at names like Elsa and more recently Bruno (we don’t talk about Bruno from Disney’s encanto)

I’ve never been a fan of Matilda and really dislike Tilly as it’s just so blah.

However a few years back I did feel that it was really popular (I work with kids) and met loads. I wouldn’t let world book day put you off. You could say the same about Harry Potter.

It's a good strong name I think.

Medieval Matilda was a Murderer.

Lovely name. My great niece is Matilda - always known as Tilly, which I also think is great.

I'm so old that Matilda was a Dolly on playschool!! Beautiful name. Tilly for short. Or Mattie. I know one of each.

I like Matilda but find Tilly insufferably twee.

Why on earth would the association with Roald Dahl's Matilda put you off? She's an amazing character! She makes me like the name so much more! She's smart and kind and strong and funny and clever and sweet. Such an amazing character

I've just named DD Matilda and have had nothing but compliments over how rare the name is, however in the Feb DD thread there were 3 Matilda's so it might be getting more popular.

I adore the name and I think the NN Matty is very cool. Tilly makes me think of silly.

I know loads of people like it, but I hate Matilda. Old fashioned in the worst way possible and just clunky. I can't imagine any girl/woman being happy with that name in today's world.