Mabel or Matilda…?

[Dueindecemberr]

I have always loved Matilda but it seems so popular now, and wondering if Mabel is a bit of a dog name…

Siblings have 2 syllable names, all out of the top 50.

I prefer Matilda.

There was a TV show in the US in the 90s called Mad About You, and the couple had a baby they named Mabel because the maternal grandmother gave them all these acronyms to remember how to care for a baby, and one of them was "Mothers Always Bring Extra Love."

I’m afraid I find Mabel a very dull name and much prefer Matilda. What about Marta?
or Maeve

I love Matilda and don’t know of any baby ones around here. I know 3 who are all about 5 & they all live in different parts of the country. I don’t think of it as very popular - just a lovely classic name with cute nickname options.
Hard decision as Mabel is an adorable name too!

Do you like Marianne?

Matilda is very popular, I know 3 young ones. Does it have to be an m name?
Maud
Maeve
Mavis
Melissa
Minerva
Millicent

I know a LOT of dogs called Mabel so I now associate it as being a dogs name.

Definitely Matilda!

I love the name Mabel! Beautiful vintage chic name! I know two children with the name but no dogs!

Matilda is quite nice but I’m not so keen on Tilly for an adult.

Thanks for the comments, a bit of a split down the middle!

I don’t mind Martha, and my paternal GM was Marta so that’s a nice link. I don’t like any of the other M names that have been suggested though. Doesn’t have to be an M names, these happen to be the frontrunners at the moment.

Neither. They are both really over-used, in my opinion. Go for something like Hannah, Stephanie or Caroline if you want a name to stand out...

They’re both hugely popular but Matilda just feels overused. I like Mabel.

You could call her Mati? My Welsh granny was a Mati. don’t like Tilly or Mabel; they are both a bit twee for me but they are very popular so I might be alone in that. Mali is nice, it’s a Welsh name but i don’t think it matters that you (presumably) aren’t Welsh. It’s got a nice sound but is less common than Matilda or Mabel.

Matilda was the 31st most used name in England and Wales in 2024 and Mabel 37th so not much difference in popularity. Mabel has been rising up the ranks of names so might become more popular whereas Matilda has stayed fairly similar.

I know more children called Mabel than I do young girls called Matilda. Mabel is very 'now'. It seems to be a name that more and more are choosing, thinking they're being different, and ending up disappointed when they realise how popular it has suddenly become.

Matilda has been steadily popular in recent years, rather than rising rapidly like Mabel. Out of the two I prefer Matilda. I like the full name, but really dislike the nickname Tilly. Mabel doesn't do it for me at all though. I do see it as more of a dog name.

I prefer Matilda.
My granny was called Mabel and when I was younger I was so glad I wasn’t named after her.

My preference out of those two names would definitely be Matilda. I like Tilly or Tilda as shortenings.

I love both.

I have a Matilda but she’s in her twenties, it wasn’t very popular then. She’s Tillie for short.

Love both! Dont see Mabel as dogs name

Mabel feels even trendier than Matilda to me as Mabel is definitely part of the Grandma 100 year retro trend (see Nancy, Elsie, Iris etc) and will likely date again. So I wouldn’t focus on a small difference in Top 100 position. I don’t think it is especially a dogs name though! (Female dogs names around me often seem descriptive- Luna, Poppy, Ruby, Belle etc).

Matilda at least feels slightly more classic, despite being popular as well (even though like many girls names it falls in and out of fashion too) - possibly because of the famous historical Empress Matilda as well as the Dahl book (which is nearly 40 years old now!). Plus it’s better known/used internationally as a bonus.

I know a Mati who is Matilda on her bc.
I love Mali, it’s one of my girls’ middle names.

Matilda. I don't like Mabel at all. Just May is better.
I'm another one not keen on Tilly, and Tilda is a rice brand.

Other M name suggestions: Molly or Martha

Both great. Maude is also cool and I think less popular.

I love Matilda. Mabel is frumpy.

I also love Marta.