Hillary
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.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Hillary
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Hillary
American parents first put Hillary on the record books as a baby girl name in 1922, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 2,521 Hillarys were born — ranking #132 that year. About 33% of every Hillary on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Hillary ranks #2,220 for baby girls with 85 births, rising sharply (+45% over the past five years). All told, over 29K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Hillary
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Hillary. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Hillary
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hillary 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 Hillary
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About the name Hillary
Hillary is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1922 and has accumulated 29K births in the dataset. Hillary's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #132. Use the chart and map above to compare Hillary's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1992 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- 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.