Entry № 0893 · English, Latin origin

Gillian Gillian — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ JIL-ee-an /
Gender
Girl
Origin
English, Latin
Meaning
"Youthful (Gillian Anderson, X-Files Scully + The Crown's Thatcher)"
Syllables
3
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Medieval (English)

A name that means "youthful (gillian anderson, x-files scully + the crown's thatcher)".

Gillian is the medieval English feminine of Julian — from the Latin *Iuliana* ("youthful, of Jupiter"). **A top-300 US baby name from 1991 to 2003**. **Gillian Anderson (born 1968)** — **American-British actress; Dana Scully on Fox's *The X-Files* (1993-2002, 2016-2018) for 11 seasons — the longest-running US science-fiction TV series until *Doctor Who* surpassed it; Emmy Award (1997) for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series**. **Played Margaret Thatcher in Netflix's *The Crown* season 4 (2020) — winning the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2021) and the Golden Globe**. **Sex Education* (Netflix 2019-2023) as Jean Milburn**. **Two Olivier Awards (2000, 2015) and a Tony nomination**. **Gillian Flynn (born 1971)** — American author of *Gone Girl* (2012), *Sharp Objects* (2006), *Dark Places* (2009); *Gone Girl* sold 20 million copies. **Gillian Jacobs (born 1982)** — *Community* (2009-2015). **Gillian Welch** — American Grammy-winning roots musician.

Featured throughout 1990s-2020s American and British culture.

Youthful. Anderson played Scully in 11 seasons of X-Files + Thatcher in The Crown (Emmy 2021).

The name in its native script.

Gillian
Transliteration
Gillian
Pronunciation
/ ˈdʒɪl.i.ən /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Gillian stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 235 in 1996
Babies named Gillian · last year
105 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1971
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · #235 NOW · —

Gillians before her.

Real people
Gillian Anderson
American-British actress.
born 1968
Gillian Flynn
American Gone Girl author.
born 1971
Gillian Jacobs
American actress.
born 1982
Gillian Welch
American roots musician.
born 1967
In fiction
Dana Scully
The X-Files.
1993

Names connected to Gillian.

The number behind Gillian.

9

The Humanitarian

Gillian reduces to nine — the number of Scully.

Why families chose this name.

"Anderson's youth. Seven letters. Gillian."
Catherine · Mother of one · Chicago