Fun Facts About the Name Tilly
- More than 2 thousand babies named Tilly: U.S. records list 2,697 babies given the name Tilly from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Tilly Mean?
Tilly is an English diminutive of Matilda, so its meaning comes from that older name. Matilda derives from the Germanic name Mahthildis, formed from maht ('might, strength') and hild ('battle'). The literal compound means 'mighty in battle' or 'strength in battle.' Tilly is one of the familiar short forms of Matilda, along with Tilda and Maud, and it has also become an independent given name. The meaning 'mighty in battle' is the customary sense of Matilda's Germanic elements, not a separate meaning of the syllable Till-.
Tilly Name History & Origins
Tilly arose in English as a pet form of Matilda. Matilda came to England with the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066; it was a Germanic name carried by the Normans and appears in medieval records in Latin as Matilda and in French-influenced forms such as Mathilde and Mahaut. Matilda was common in medieval England, and it produced several short forms. Maud became an independent name during the Middle Ages, while Tilda and Tilly remained informal diminutives for a longer period. In modern usage, Tilly is also given as a name in its own right in the English-speaking world, and it appears in other European countries as a short form of Mathilde or Matilda.
How Popular is the Name Tilly?
Tilly recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #885 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #885 | 302 | 0.0188% |
| 2024 | #953 | 273 | 0.0169% |
| 2023 | #1,045 | 242 | 0.0151% |
| 2022 | #1,029 | 249 | 0.0152% |
| 2021 | #1,133 | 218 | 0.0133% |
| 2020 | #1,332 | 166 | 0.0103% |
| 2019 | #1,344 | 170 | 0.0101% |
| 2018 | #1,648 | 129 | 0.0076% |
| 2017 | #1,862 | 110 | 0.0064% |
| 2016 | #2,305 | 83 | 0.0047% |
| 2015 | #2,256 | 84 | 0.0047% |
| 2014 | #2,580 | 69 | 0.0039% |
| 2013 | #2,724 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 2012 | #2,652 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2011 | #3,262 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2010 | #3,619 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2009 | #3,866 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2008 | #5,266 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #4,797 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2006 | #7,456 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #8,297 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #8,682 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #7,965 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #11,032 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #8,709 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #17,427 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #7,206 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #12,332 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #9,753 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #10,490 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #9,501 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #10,484 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #15,433 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #15,286 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #12,846 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #13,125 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #10,123 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #10,490 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #8,679 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #8,196 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #9,537 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #8,108 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #6,531 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #5,809 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #7,128 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1940 | #4,299 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #4,178 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #5,023 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #5,363 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1927 | #5,537 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #5,696 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #5,682 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1916 | #3,230 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1914 | #2,003 | 13 | 0.0017% |
| 1912 | #3,390 | 5 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Tilly Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Tilly's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Tilly's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.