Matilda

Matilda marches in wearing tiny boots and a grin. From Old High German Mahthildis, it yokes together maht, might, and hild, battle, an etymology that sounds improbably fierce for a name now associated with Roald Dahl's book-loving heroine. Queens wore it in the medieval courts of England and Flanders; Heath Ledger chose it for his daughter. Long relegated to attic trunks, Matilda has climbed steadily back, reaching the low 400s in the U.S. as parents reach for vintage charm with backbone. The nickname Tilly or Mattie softens it, but Matilda, full and upright, is the real pleasure.