Gillian
Gillian is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Gillian
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gillian is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Gillian
Gillian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1922, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 1,022 Gillians were born — ranking #303 that year. As of 2026, Gillian ranks #3,144 for baby girls with 51 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 16K Gillians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Gillian
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gillian. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Gillian
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gillian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gillian
What does the name Gillian mean?
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How popular is Gillian in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Gillian most popular?
Is Gillian a unisex name?
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About the name Gillian
Gillian is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1922 and has accumulated 16K births in the dataset. Gillian's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #303. Use the chart and map above to compare Gillian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.