A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Maud since 1880
Babies named Maud per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,201 |
| 1890s | 3,285 |
| 1900s | 1,836 |
| 1910s | 1,629 |
| 1920s | 1,240 |
| 1930s | 442 |
| 1940s | 205 |
| 1950s | 134 |
| 1960s | 73 |
| 1970s | 35 |
| 1980s | 17 |
| 1990s | 16 |
| 2000s | 12 |
| 2010s | 22 |
| 2020s | 12 |
Meaning & origin
Maud is a name with deep medieval roots, first recorded in the United States in 1880. It reached its peak rank in 1882, when it was at its highest recorded usage. After a long decline, the name began a revival around 2020 and is once again being chosen by a small but growing number of parents. Maud is a prime example of an old-fashioned name returning with modern charm: it is short, strong, and undeniably elegant. Despite its rarity, it carries the weight of history as a royal name used by Norman queens and later by Victorian novelists like Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Its trajectory since 2020 suggests it may continue to rise as part of the broader revival of grandparent names.
Maud evolved in medieval England as a vernacular form of Matilda, itself from the Germanic elements maht 'strength, might' and hild 'battle'. It also served as an English contraction of Magdalen, though the Germanic derivation is the standard explanation. The name was common among Norman nobility and appeared in the Domesday Book as Mahaut. It faded after the Middle Ages but saw a Victorian revival and later a 21st-century resurgence.
Where Maud is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Maud” around the world
Where Maud lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
60
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Maudie, Maudy
Sibling names for Maud
Names that share Maud's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Clara, Flora, Iris, Mabel, Sylvia, Genia, Carry, Tennie, Vennie, Beadie, Beula, Beuna, Dellar, Perlie, Roena, Vicie, Vinie, Darcus, Icie, Tiney, Pallie, Avice, Clemma, Clevie, Dicy, Milderd, Ninnie, Vincie, Walsie
Brothers: Albert, Arthur, Edgar, Oscar, Walter, Rufus, Chancy, Erby, Handy, Lisle, Quitman, Vere, Kees, Pratt, Rastus
