Tilly

  • [ TIL-ee ]
  • English
Diminutive of MATILDA.

MATILDA   female   English, Swedish, Finnish
From the Germanic name Mahthildis meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hild "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.

The name was popular until the 15th century in England, usually in the vernacular form Maud. Both forms were revived by the 19th century. This name appears in the popular Australian folk song 'Waltzing Matilda', written in 1895.
FULL FORMS
ENGLISH: Mathilda, Matilda, Maud, Maude
EQUIVALENTS
ANCIENT GERMANIC: Mahthildis, Mathilda
CZECH: Matylda
DANISH: Mathilde, Tilde
DUTCH: Machteld, Mathilde, Maud, Mechteld, Til
ENGLISH: Mattie, Maudie, Tilda, Tillie
FINNISH: Matilda, Tilda
FRENCH: Mahaut, Mathilde
GERMAN: Mathilde, Mechthild, Mechtilde
HUNGARIAN: Matild
ITALIAN: Mafalda, Matilde
LIMBURGISH: Til
NORWEGIAN: Mathilde
POLISH: Matylda
PORTUGUESE: Mafalda, Matilde
SPANISH: Matilde
SWEDISH: Mathilda, Matilda, Tilda
WELSH: Mallt
OTHER FORMS
ENGLISH: Maddie, Maddison, Maddy, Madison, Madisyn, Madyson