Daily AncestorTilly
Tilly stood for Matilda in many American records of the 1700s and 1800s.
Tilly is a short form of Matilda. Nickname lists made for 18th and 19th century research, such as the one from the Connecticut State Library, pair Tilly with Matilda.
If a search for Matilda finds nothing, try Tilly, and the reverse. Treat a match as a lead and confirm it with age, birthplace and family members.
As seen in a record1880 census; her 1868 baptism calls her Matilda
Tilly Ruggles, Daughter, 12, At school
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Tilly." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/nicknames/tilly. Last checked 2026-10-15.