Jill
Jill was the 5810th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1977, when it ranked 41st; the most babies were born in 1966 (7,871). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,780 places. More babies were named Jill in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Gillian (Juliana) · English, Latin
Say it JIL /dʒɪl/
- Rank in 2025
- #5,810 girls, up 651 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 21girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19667,871 babies
- Total since 1880
- 208,572babies recorded
What does the name Jill mean?
Jill is a variant of Gill, a short form of Gillian, which was a medieval English form of Juliana, as Wiktionary notes. Juliana is the feminine of Julianus, from the Roman family name Julius, whose meaning is uncertain. 'Jack and Jill' in the nursery rhyme shows how ordinary the name was in England. It was popular in the US in the 1960s.
Gillian (Middle English, “Juliana”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Gillian, Juliana, Gill, Jillian.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jill', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Juliana', DMNES (Durham University)
Jill popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 501 since 1943.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,810 | 21 |
| 2020 | #6,461 | 18 |
| 2010 | #2,573 | 71 |
| 2000 | #988 | 215 |
| 1990 | #329 | 835 |
| 1980 | #66 | 4,558 |
| 1970 | #52 | 6,806 |
| 1960 | #76 | 6,019 |
| 1950 | #142 | 2,196 |
| 1940 | #322 | 390 |
| 1930 | #964 | 58 |
| 1920 | #2,518 | 14 |
| 1910 | #2,277 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jill, counting every spelling?
Jill has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Jill?
21 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jill (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Jill 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 401 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jill.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jill?
About 181,200 people born in the US named Jill are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 49 and 65. That makes Jill a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Jill by state
How common Jill was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 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 Jill: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jill, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jill · Sibling names for Jill
Jill is also a nickname for Jillian.
Questions about the name Jill
What does Jill mean?
Jill means “pet form of Gillian (Juliana)” (English, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jill?
Jill was the 5810th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1977, when it ranked 41st; the most babies were born in 1966 (7,871). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,780 places. More babies were named Jill in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Jill a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Jill in the US.
Where is Jill most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jill was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Texas.