Tilly

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɪli/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪli

Shortened from Matilda, +‎ -y.

Tilly

1. A diminutive of the female given name Matilda.
   • 1990, Barbara Vine, Gallowglass, Curley Pub, published 1991, →ISBN, page 24:

     Tilly's name is Matilda. It was typical of Mum and Dad that they wouldn't let her be called Tilly when she came to them because that was the unusual shortening of Matilda, the unconventional one, and you never did unconventional things, you never did things to draw attention to yourself. So they called her Matty.

Habitational surname from places in France named Tilly, brought to England by the Normans. The surname may also have other origins, including a matronymic from Matilda.

Tilly

1. A surname from Old French.

Tilly (plural Tillies)

1. Alternative letter-case form of tilly
   • 2012, David Fiddimore, Tuesday's War, →ISBN:

     By the time he stooped to lift him up, we were all in the Tilly that Fiver had brought out to meet us.