Hillary

About Hillary

Hillary is an English form of a name meaning “cheerful,” with roots in Latin and Greek. Today its best-known first-name association is Hillary Rodham Clinton, while Edmund Hillary supplies a separate surname connection with mountaineering. Its double l distinguishes it visually from the closely related Hilary.

Meaning and earlier history

Hillary is a variant of Hilary, the medieval English form of Hilarius or Hilaria. Latin hilaris means “cheerful” and comes from a Greek word with the same meaning.

Hilary was primarily masculine in the Middle Ages. Its later revival in Britain, around the beginning of the twentieth century, was predominantly feminine. The name family therefore has a longer history across both sexes than its modern American profile might suggest.

Hilarius was borne by the fourth-century theologian and bishop of Poitiers and by a fifth-century pope. Hilaria, French Hilaire, and Italian Ilaria belong to the wider family.

Hillary is usually pronounced HIL-uh-ree in English, with emphasis on the opening syllable. The middle vowel is light, giving the name a quick movement into its final ee sound.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton became the sixty-seventh United States secretary of state in January 2009. Before that appointment, her public career included work as a lawyer, first lady, and senator.

She graduated from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, then moved to Arkansas in 1974. There she worked in law and education, including teaching at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

During her years as Arkansas's first lady, she chaired the state's Education Standards Committee and co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. As first lady of the United States, she became associated with health-care reform and issues affecting children.

The breadth of that career makes Hillary an immediately recognizable political first name, with associations extending across law, education, and international diplomacy.

Edmund Hillary and Everest

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, becoming the first people known to have done so. They were members of John Hunt's British expedition.

Hillary had worked in his family's beekeeping business in New Zealand before his mountaineering achievements brought worldwide attention. His surname gives the spelling a connection with exploration distinct from Clinton's given name.

The achievement belongs to the pair: Hillary and the experienced Sherpa climber Tenzing reached the summit together. Their partnership is central to the historical association.

American popularity

Hillary reached its largest published annual count and strongest United States ranking for girls in 1992, with 2,520 births at #132.

The count fell sharply to 1,064 in 1993 and 409 in 1994. That change coincided with Clinton's first years as United States first lady.

There were 252 girls named Hillary in 2000 and 168 in 2010. In 2025, 67 girls received it, ranking #2,592, far below its early-1990s high.

How popular is Hillary?

In 2025, Hillary ranked #2,592 among girls in the United States, with 67 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1922; its largest annual count was 2,520 in 1992. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.