Girl · #2,220 in 2026

Hillary

Name: Popularity of the name Hillary in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Hillary, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

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.

Current Rank

#2,220

Peak Rank

#132 (1992)

Total Babies

29K

5-Yr Trend

+45%

1922

First Year

2026

Last Year

1992

Peak Year

#132

Peak Rank

29K

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Hillary

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Hillary

Hillary 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 1992, when 2,521 Hillarys were born — ranking #132 that year. As of 2026, Hillary ranks #2,220 for baby girls with 85 births, rising sharply (+45% over the past five years). In total, more than 29K Hillarys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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.

Hilary
Hillery
Hilly
Hiller
Hilar
Hiley
Hillarys
Hili
Hilley
Hiri
Tillery
Pillory

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillary

What does the name Hillary mean?

How popular is Hillary in 2026?

In 2026, Hillary ranks #2,220 among girls' names in the U.S., with 85 babies given the name that year.

When was Hillary most popular?

Hillary reached its peak popularity in 1992, ranking #132 that year with 2,521 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Hillary most popular?

Hillary has historically been most popular in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Hillary.

Is Hillary a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Hillary is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Hillary?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Hillary include Adalyn, Ember, Ebony. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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.

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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.