The first name Hillary
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “cheerfully”.
Pronounced /ˈhɪ.lə.ɹi/ 3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Hillary means “cheerfully” in Latin.
From Latin Hilarius or Hilaria, from hilare (“cheerfully”) (compare English hilarious).
A form of Hilary.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Hillary, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2010, with 11 births (#2,235).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Hillary with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Hillary at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 67 girls born in the United States were named Hillary, the 2,592nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1992, when 2,520 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Hillary in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Hillary
- Hil
- Hiley
- Hili
- Hilie
- Hill
- Hilley
- Hilli
- Hillie
- Hills
- Hilly
- Hils
- Hily
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Hillary
12 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Hillary ScottAmerican pornographic actress, born 1983
- Hillary WolfAmerican actor and judoka, born 1977
- Hillary BrookeAmerican film actress (1914–1999)
- Hillary ScottAmerican singer and songwriter, born 1986
- Hillary LindseyAmerican singer-songwriter (born 1977)
- Hillary JanssensCanadian rower, born 1994
- Hillary TuckAmerican actress, born 1978
- Hillary WaughAmerican mystery novelist (1920-2008)
- Hillary ScholtenAmerican politician (born 1982)
- Hillary B. SmithAmerican actress, born 1957
- Hillary JordanAmerican writer, born 1963
- Hilaria BaldwinAmerican yoga instructor, entrepreneur, podcaster, and author, born 1984
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Hillary mean?
- Hillary means “cheerfully” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Hillary?
- From Latin Hilarius or Hilaria, from hilare (“cheerfully”) (compare English hilarious).
- How popular is the name Hillary?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Hillary, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 2010, with 11 births.
- What are nicknames for Hillary?
- Common nicknames for Hillary include Hil, Hiley, Hili, Hilie, Hill, Hilley.
- Is Hillary a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 96% of the 30,305 US babies named Hillary since 1880 were girls.
- When was Hillary most popular?
- 1992 in the United States, when 2,520 babies were named Hillary, its highest rank at 132nd.
- How do you pronounce Hillary?
- Hillary is /ˈhɪ.lə.ɹi/, 3 syllables.
- What name is Hillary a form of?
- Hillary is a form of Hilary.
- What are other spellings of Hillary?
- Hilary.
- Is Hillary also a surname?
- Yes. Hillary is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.