Given name & surname
Hilary
“a cheerful woman; bringer of joy”
Hilary is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “a cheerful woman; bringer of joy.”
Original GreekΙλάριος
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “a cheerful woman; bringer of joy.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In English usage, Hilary developed from Hilarius.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Hilary through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 26,368
- 2,197 boys · 24,171 girls
- Most popular year
- 1990
- 1,225 babies
- 2025
- 24
- #5,301 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +66%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 2% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 24 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,301 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 73.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,217 in 1990. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 24,293 as a first name in 2020; 130 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hilary’s family of names
In English usage, Hilary has a diminutive in HIL. Hilary shares a linguistic root with Hilario. In English usage, Hilary has an alternative spelling in Hillary.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Hilary has relatives in 24 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
29 related names in 24 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 45
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elleryvariant · English
- Hillaryvariant · English
- Hilariovariant · Spanish, Galician
- Hilariavariant · Polish, Galician
- Alairevariant · French
- Hilarionvariant
- Hilairevariant · French
- Hiliaryvariant
Show 37 moreShow fewer
- Hilleryvariant
- Hileryvariant
- Hilloryvariant
- Hillareyvariant
- Hillareevariant
- Hillarievariant
- Hillarivariant
- Hilarivariant
- Hilarievariant
- Hilareevariant
- Hilaryelikely variant
- Hilarrylikely variant
- Hilariusvariant · German, Dutch
- Hilaridvariant
- Hilarvariant · Czech
- Helariovariant
- Hilareavariant
- Hyllareavariant
- Hylareavariant
- Hillareavariant
- Hiolairvariant
- Hilaeirovariant
- Hyllaryvariant
- Hyllarivariant
- Hylareevariant
- Hylareyvariant
- Hylarivariant
- Hylarievariant
- Hylaryvariant
- Hiliarievariant
- Hiloriovariant
- Hilareyvariant
- Hilaeiravariant
- Hilarıvariant
- Huareyvariant
- Hildiminutive · English
- Hilarekdiminutive · Polish
Across languages 21
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 4
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Hilary
- Hilary SwankAmerican actress (born 1974)
- Hilary DuffAmerican actress and singer (born 1987)
- Hilary of PoitiersBishop of Poitiers (c. 310 – c. 367)315–367
- Hilary MantelBritish writer (1952–2022)
- Hilary PutnamAmerican philosopher and mathematician1926–2016
- Hilary HahnAmerican classical violinistborn 1979
- Hilary KoprowskiPolish physician, virologist, immunologist and medical researcher (1916–2013)
- Hilary BennBritish politician (born 1953)
- Hilary KnightAmerican ice hockey playerborn 1989
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Hilary, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“having great wisdom and foresight”
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“one who is just and upright”
>99% girls