Holding steady.
Popularity of Hilliard since 1880
Babies named Hilliard per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1920, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hilliard's real moment was 1896.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 73 |
| 1890s | 70 |
| 1900s | 93 |
| 1910s | 322 |
| 1920s | 408 |
| 1930s | 230 |
| 1940s | 241 |
| 1950s | 182 |
| 1960s | 121 |
| 1970s | 56 |
| 1980s | 50 |
| 1990s | 13 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Hilliard is a rare given name with antiquated charm, most commonly associated with the late 19th century. Its first recorded year in U.S. birth data was 1880, and its peak year of usage was 1896, during an era when surnames-as-first-names were fashionable. Since then, the name has followed a stable but extremely low trajectory, barely appearing in modern records. The name never reached the top 1000 and has no strong regional association, as it appears in no state's top frequency lists. Hilliard remains a distinctive choice with a solid historical footing, though its obscurity may appeal to those seeking a truly uncommon name with English surname roots.
Hilliard is most often regarded as a transferred use of the English surname Hilliard, which itself may derive from the Old German personal name Hildebrand, composed of hild 'battle' and brand 'sword'. Alternatively, it could be a topographic name for someone who lived on a hill. The name saw modest use as a given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the United States, but has since become rare.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Hilliard
Names that share Hilliard's style, for a brother or sister.
