Entry № 1026 · Latin origin

Hillary Hillary — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ HIL-ah-ree /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Latin
Meaning
"Cheerful (Hillary Clinton, first woman major-party US presidential nominee)"
Syllables
3
Rank · US 2025
№ 985
First recorded
Medieval (Latin)

A name that means "cheerful (hillary clinton, first woman major-party us presidential nominee)".

Hillary is from the Latin hilaris ("cheerful, joyful") — same root as "hilarious." Originally a male name (Saint Hilary of Poitiers, 4th c.); used for women from the 1960s. **Hillary Rodham Clinton (born 1947)** — **first woman to become the presidential nominee of a major US political party (Democratic, 2016)**; won the popular vote by nearly 3 million but lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump. **First Lady (1993-2001), US Senator from New York (2001-2009), US Secretary of State (2009-2013)**. **Yale Law-educated lawyer who graduated 1973**.

Subject of *Living History* (2003) and *Hard Choices* (2014) — her bestselling memoirs.

Cheerful. First woman major-party US presidential nominee; won the popular vote by three million.

The name in its native script.

Hillary
Transliteration
Hillary
Pronunciation
/ ˈhɪl.ə.ri /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Hillary stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 985 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 138 in 1992
Babies named Hillary · last year
190 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1968
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · #138 NOW · #985

Hillarys before her.

Real people
Hillary Clinton
67th US Secretary of State.
born 1947
Hilary Mantel
British Booker novelist.
1952 – 2022
In fiction
Hillary
Living History.
2003

Names connected to Hillary.

The number behind Hillary.

7

The Seeker

Hillary reduces to seven — the number of Secretary of State.

Why families chose this name.

"Clinton's cheerful. Seven letters. Hillary."
Catherine · Mother of one · Chappaqua