Hilary

Hilary meaning

Hilary is a Christian unisex name of Latin origin, used for both girls and boys.

Cheerful, of good cheer, merry (Latin hilaris)

Also used to mean: happy

Hilary comes from the Latin name Hilarius, formed from the adjective hilaris. Lewis & Short define hilaris as cheerful, of good cheer, merry or jovial, and note that it was taken from Greek hilaros; English hilarious comes from the same word. The name spread through Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a fourth-century bishop who opposed Arianism and was declared a doctor of the Church in 1851. His feast on 13 January gave its name to the Hilary term at Oxford and the English law courts. Long a man's name, it is now used for boys and girls alike.

Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879), s.v. hilaris · entry hĭlăris · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Lewis & Short, hilaris (Perseus) · Britannica, Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Famous namesakes

• Saint Hilary of Poitiers, 4th-century bishop and doctor of the Church

Spellings

Hilary · Hillary · Hilarie

Related names

Also meaning joy

Also starting with Hil-

More names of Latin origin

Browse more like this