Grace vs Matilda
Grace 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Matilda #110 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Matilda #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Matilda #16 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Matilda #148 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Matilda #27 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Matilda #31 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Matilda #150 among girls in Norway.
Grace and Matilda over time
Grace and Matilda appear together in 6 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Matilda in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Grace reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Matilda in 1. 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
Grace and Matilda changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1986 and 2025, ending at #503 and #150.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Grace and Matilda averaged 59.2 places apart, ending at #25 and #31.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Matilda were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #4 and #106.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Grace #11 in 2019, Matilda #20 in 2021.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1965–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Matilda #97 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Matilda #106.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Matilda #25 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Matilda #31.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Matilda in 2.
Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Matilda #8 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Matilda #16.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Matilda #91 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Matilda #110.
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 1986–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Matilda in 15.
Highest recorded here: Grace #354 in 2017, Matilda #145 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #503, Matilda #150.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2009–2023
Grace held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Matilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #11 in 2019, Matilda #20 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, 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 | Grace | Matilda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | Commonly interpreted as 'strength in battle' or 'mighty in battle'. |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /məˈtɪldə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (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
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Matilda is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Grace has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Matilda.
- Grace'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
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 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