Where does “Matilda” come from?

Matilda (Portuguese) comes from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German maht, from Proto-West Germanic mahti, from Proto-Germanic mahtiz, from Proto-Germanic mahtuz, from Proto-Indo-European mógʰtis, from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- — to be able.

Ancestry of “Matilda”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old FrenchMathilde—
2Old High Germanmahtmight
3Proto-West Germanicmahtimight, power
4Proto-Germanicmahtizpower, ability; strength, force
5Proto-Germanicmahtuzmight, power
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmógʰtis—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmeǵʰ-to be able
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mógʰtis →Every word from Proto-Germanic mahtuz →
Matilda — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer