What Is The Meaning Of The Name Hillary

Hillary is the American spelling, now often used in other English speaking countries too, of the name Hilary. This name developed in the Middle Ages from a late Latin boy's name Hilarius, which itself came from the Latin adjective hilaris, meaning "cheerful." This is also the origin of some modern English words like hilarious and hilarity - it's because it sounds so similar to the latter, that Hilary is often thought to mean "laughter," which is almost true but not quite.

The feminine form of Hilarius was Hilaria; both names died  out when the medieval form emerged. Then, as it was well into the 20th century, Hilary was always a boy's name (partly because of the early Christian male saint, Hilarius.) In the mid 20th century it began to be given more to girls; for a while it was associated with both, but now we see it as almost exclusively a girl's name.

Probably the most famous Hillary today is the possible future Democratic candidate for the US Presidency, Hillary Clinton.