UK girl's name
Maude
A French feminine diminutive of Maud or Matilda meaning "mighty battle maid".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Maude is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Maude popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2253, with 12 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 13 births.
This profile covers 148 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 92% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 147 living people in the UK are called Maude. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Maude ranked #2253 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 12 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 13 girls were registered as Maude.
- • About 147 living people in the UK are estimated to have Maude as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2253
2024
Births in 2024
12
Latest year
Peak year
2022
13 births
Estimated living
147
2026
Meaning
What does Maude mean?
The name Maude is derived from the Germanic name Mahthildis, which is composed of the elements "maht" meaning "might" or "strength" and "hild" meaning "battle." It has its origins in the Old French form Mahaut or Maholt.
The earliest recorded use of the name Maude can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It became popular in England and France during this time, particularly among the nobility. One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Maude, Countess of Huntingdon (c. 1074-1130), daughter of King Henry I of England.
In the 12th century, the name gained further prominence when Matilda (also known as Maude) of England (1102-1167), daughter of King Henry I, engaged in a long-running dispute over the English throne with her cousin, Stephen of Blois. This conflict, known as "The Anarchy," lasted from 1135 to 1153.
Another historical figure with the name Maude was Matilda of Boulogne (c. 1105-1152), wife of King Stephen of England. She played a significant role in the conflict between her husband and her cousin, Matilda of England, over the English throne.
In the 13th century, Maude de Braose (c. 1224-1301) was a Welsh noblewoman who was imprisoned by King Edward I for her involvement in a baronial revolt against him.
During the Renaissance period, Maude de Mortimer (c. 1284-1345) was an English noblewoman who was briefly married to Theobald de Verdun, a powerful baron in medieval England.
Over the centuries, the name Maude has been borne by various other notable individuals, including Maude Adams (1872-1953), an American actress renowned for her portrayal of Peter Pan on Broadway, and Maude Fealy (1883-1971), an American stage and film actress.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Maude over time
The chart below shows babies named Maude registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Maude, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 12 births in 2024, compared with 13 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maude by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Maude was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2935 | 45 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3797 | 60 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3924 | 28 | 6 |
| 1990s | #3336 | 15 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Maude
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Maude: questions and answers
How popular is the name Maude in the UK right now?
In 2024, Maude was ranked #2253 for girls in England and Wales, with 12 births registered.
When was Maude most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 13 babies registered as Maude in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Maude?
A French feminine diminutive of Maud or Matilda meaning "mighty battle maid".
How many people are called Maude in the UK?
A total of 148 babies have been registered as Maude across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.