Home › Baby Names Directory › Mattie

Mattie

♀ Girl

Pronounced MAT-ee /ˈmæt.i/High

Meaning: Gift of God; English pet form of Martha or Matilda; Martha from Aramaic meaning lady or mistress; Matilda from Germanic (maht + hild: strength + battle)Medium

In 30 seconds: A vintage English diminutive used for both Martha (Aramaic: lady/mistress) and Matilda (Germanic: strength in battle). It reached its peak in the late 19th century and is now enjoying a charming retro revival.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumHebrew, English

MeaningGift of God; English pet form of Martha or Matilda; Martha from Aramaic meaning lady or mistress; Matilda from Germanic (maht + hild: strength + battle)

U.S. rank (2025)#1005 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births249 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 133,062

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Mattie is an English diminutive historically used for Martha (from Aramaic marta, lady or mistress) or Matilda (from Germanic maht, strength, and hild, battle). It was common in Victorian England and the United States and declined through the 20th century.

Mattie was a top-100 U.S. name in the late 19th century. It faded dramatically through the 20th century and is now rising again as a vintage choice. Ranked #1057 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? Mattie Ross is the determined young narrator of Charles Portis's 1968 novel True Grit — a character so beloved that the John Wayne and Jeff Bridges film adaptations kept her exact name, cementing Mattie as a plucky frontier archetype.

Overall data confidence 82%

Behind the Name — Mattie — etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

MattyMatti

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Mattie Ross (fictional)
The tenacious 14-year-old narrator of Charles Portis's True Grit (1968), who hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn to avenge her father's murder.

If you like Mattie…

Martha— one of the two parent names Mattie typically abbreviates

Matilda— the other primary parent name for the Mattie nickname

Nellie— vintage -ie ending name from the same late-Victorian era

Sadie— vintage pet form of Sarah popular in the same era and revival

Hattie— vintage -ie ending name enjoying the same retro revival

Explore names like Mattie

By themevintage germanic diminutive aramaic retro-revival

By meaningGod / Divine Strength Warrior Gift / Blessing

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Mattie mean?

Mattie is an English diminutive of Martha (Aramaic: lady, mistress) or Matilda (Germanic: strength in battle).

How do you pronounce Mattie?

It's said MAT-ee — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Mattie a boy or girl name?

Mattie is used primarily as a girls' name, though historically it was also a male nickname for Matthew.

How popular is Mattie?

Mattie ranked #1057 for U.S. girls in 2024.