| Emery | Matilda | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Brave, powerful | Battle-mighty |
| Origin | Germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EM-uh-ree | muh-TIL-duh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1906 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (3,208) | 2025 (838) |
| In 2025 | 3,208 | 838 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Emery | Matilda |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 18,408 | 4,390 |
| 2010s | 20,971 | 5,241 |
| 2000s | 3,550 | 1,712 |
| 1990s | 571 | 486 |
| 1980s | 172 | 359 |
| 1970s | 55 | 620 |
| 1960s | 12 | 983 |
| 1950s | 14 | 1,179 |
| 1940s | 10 | 1,284 |
| 1930s | 12 | 2,033 |
| 1920s | 46 | 5,016 |
| 1910s | 11 | 5,293 |
| 1900s | 5 | 2,892 |
| 1890s | 0 | 3,249 |
| 1880s | 0 | 2,533 |
From the Germanic Emmerich — amal (work) and ric (power) — “brave, powerful ruler.”
From the Germanic elements 'maht' (might, strength) and 'hild' (battle), giving the sense 'mighty in battle'. Popularized by the 11th-century Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror.
Emery is more popular than Matilda today: about 3,208 US babies were given the name Emery in 2025, compared with 838 named Matilda.
Emery means Brave, powerful (Germanic origin), while Matilda means Battle-mighty (germanic origin).
In US records, Emery first appears in 1906 and Matilda in 1880, so Matilda has the longer recorded history.