Hillary (English)
Where does "Hillary" come from?
The name Hillary traces its roots back to the Latin Hilarius or Hilaria, which were derived from the word hilare, meaning 'cheerful' or 'happy.' This connection to cheerfulness is also shared with the modern English word 'hilarious.' Over time, the name evolved from these ancient roots into the familiar given name and surname used today.
Full etymology tree
- Hillary (English), 'A unisex given name from Latin.'
- derived Hilarius (Latin), 'name of a fourth-century saint, meaning cheerful, happy.'
- derived hilaris (Latin), 'cheerful, lively, light-hearted, merry, jovial'
- derived Hilaria (Latin)
- derived hilaris (Latin), 'cheerful, lively, light-hearted, merry, jovial'
- derived Hilarius (Latin), 'name of a fourth-century saint, meaning cheerful, happy.'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris