Freya vs Matilda
Freya and Matildacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #3 and Matilda #148 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #7 and Matilda #31 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #10 and Matilda #110 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #49 and Matilda #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #25 and Matilda #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Freya was ranked #31 and Matilda #27 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #147 and Matilda #150 among girls in Norway.
Freya and Matilda over time
Freya and Matilda appear together in 7 published lists, across 135 years of shared records. Freya held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Matilda in 2.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Matilda reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Freya in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Freya and Matilda changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 2014 and 2023, ending at #31 and #27.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Freya and Matilda averaged 39.8 places apart, ending at #7 and #31.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Freya #38 in 2023, Matilda #8 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Matilda #25 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #7, Matilda #31.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1987–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #12 in 2024, Matilda #97 in 2016.
The order changed in 1997: Freya moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #488 and #488; by 1997 that had become #363 and #496.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #25, Matilda #106.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #9 in 2022, Matilda #91 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #10, Matilda #110.
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 2005–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Matilda in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #115 in 2023, Matilda #145 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #147, Matilda #150.
Scotland · Girls19 shared years, 2024–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #3 in 2024, Matilda #148 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #3, Matilda #148.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2016–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matilda in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #38 in 2023, Matilda #8 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #49, Matilda #16.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Freya held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matilda in 8.
Highest recorded here: Freya #22 in 2021, Matilda #20 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Freya #31, Matilda #27.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Freya | Matilda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | Commonly interpreted as 'strength in battle' or 'mighty in battle'. |
| Origin | Old Norse | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | /məˈtɪldə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | Tilly, Mathilde |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #1 (2025) | United Kingdom #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Freya is recorded with a Old Norse origin, while Matilda is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Matilda.
- Freya's recorded meaning differs from Matilda's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Freya
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2024–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2024–2025).
Scotland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Matilda
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2004–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls