Hilary
Hilary was the 5301st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked 232nd with 1,217 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,260 places. More babies were named Hilary in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Hillary) "cheerful" · Latin, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #5,301 girls, up 246 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 24girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19901,217 babies
- Total since 1880
- 26,368babies recorded
What does the name Hilary mean?
Hilary is a spelling of Hillary, pronounced the same way, so it shares Hillary's meaning and origin.
Hillary is a spelling of Hilary, from the Latin Hilarius (men) and Hilaria (women), from hilaris, "cheerful, merry", a borrowing from Greek hilaros. DMNES lists a 4th-century doctor of the church, Hilary of Poitiers, and a pope. DMNES records Hilary as a man's name in medieval Europe. In the US Hillary is mostly feminine and was most common around 1980 to 1992.
hilaris (Latin, “cheerful, merry”)ἱλαρός (Greek, “cheerful”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Hilary, Hilaria, Ilaria, Hilario.
See also: Latin names, names that mean joy.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Hillary', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Hilary', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Hilary (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Hilary popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,197 since 1882.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,301 | 24 |
| 2020 | #5,547 | 22 |
| 2010 | #2,370 | 80 |
| 2000 | #1,943 | 87 |
| 1990 | #232 | 1,217 |
| 1980 | #326 | 741 |
| 1970 | #532 | 355 |
| 1960 | #811 | 164 |
| 1950 | #844 | 109 |
| 1940 | #2,478 | 12 |
| 1930 | #3,479 | 8 |
| 1920 | #4,623 | 6 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Hilary, counting every spelling?
Hilary is a spelling of Hillary, a name family that had 91 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 91 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillary | 67 | #2,592 | 351 |
| Hilary | 24 | #5,301 | 186 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Hilary?
24 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Hilary (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Hilary born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 347 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Hilary.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Hilary?
About 22,600 people born in the US named Hilary are alive today, with a median age of 42; half are between 36 and 50. That makes Hilary mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Hilary by state
How common Hilary was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.5×). In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Hilary: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Hilary, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Hilary
What does Hilary mean?
Hilary is a spelling of Hillary, which means “"cheerful"” (Latin, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Hilary?
Hilary was the 5301st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked 232nd with 1,217 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,260 places. More babies were named Hilary in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Hilary a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Hilary in the US.
Where is Hilary most popular?
In 2021–2025, Hilary was most common in Louisiana (0.06 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and California.