Hilary
Hilary, Hilarie or Hillary is a given name and surname, derived from the Latin hilarius meaning "cheerful", from hilaris, "cheerful, merry", which comes from the Greek ἱλαρός (hilaros), "cheerful, merry", which in turn comes from ἵλαος (hilaos), "propitious, gracious". Ilaria is the popular Italian feminine form, while Ilario is the Italian masculine one.
Meaning & Origin of Hilary
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hilary, Hilarie or Hillary is a given name and surname, derived from the Latin hilarius meaning "cheerful", from hilaris, "cheerful, merry", which comes from the Greek ἱλαρός (hilaros), "cheerful, merry", which in turn comes from ἵλαος (hilaos), "propitious, gracious". Ilaria is the popular Italian feminine form, while Ilario is the Italian masculine one.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hilary
As a girl name
Hilary first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1990, when 1,217 Hilarys were born — ranking #232 that year. As of 2026, Hilary ranks #3,146 for girls with 51 births, rising sharply (+139% over the past five years). In total, more than 24K Hilarys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Hilary first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1882, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 53 Hilarys were born — ranking #960 that year. As of 2026, Hilary ranks #12,153 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Hilarys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Hilary
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hilary 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 Hilary
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About the name Hilary
Hilary is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 24K births in the dataset. Hilary's peak popularity came in 1990 when it ranked #232. Use the chart and map above to compare Hilary's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1990 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "H" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.