Gender Feminine & Masculine
Usage English
Pronounced Pron. HIL-ə-ree  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Medieval English form of Hilarius or Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).

Related Names

VariantHillary
Other Languages & CulturesHilarion(Ancient Greek) Hilaria, Hilarius(Ancient Roman) Ilarion(Bulgarian) Hillar(Estonian) Ilari, Lari(Finnish) Hilaire(French) Ilaria, Ilario, Ilary(Italian) Ilarion(Macedonian) Ilariy, Illarion(Russian) Ellar(Scottish) Ealar(Scottish Gaelic) Hilaria, Hilario(Spanish) Ilar(Welsh)
Surname DescendantEllery(English)
User SubmissionHilary

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   formal   upper class   wholesome   refined  

Name Days

Poland: January 11
Poland: January 14
Poland: March 16
Poland: October 21

Categories

Entry updated January 21, 2022