Total births
24,171
Unisex name · since 1914
Hilary
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 24,171 babies named Hilary, peaking in 1990. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3980
- among girls today
- 24,171
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Hilary currently ranks #3980 among unisex names in America, with 24,171 babies recorded since 1914.
Social Security Administration records show Hilary recorded 24,171 times among girls since 1914, holding rank #3980 nationally today, ahead of 78% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #3980 among girls today
- 24,171 born since 1914
- 1980s peak decade
- 78% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Hilary is currently the #3980 unisex name in America, more common than 78% of girls - 24,171 born since 1914, peaking in the 1980s.
- #3980
- among girls today
- 24,171
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Hilary vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3980
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 78% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Hilary was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
1,217 babies were named Hilary in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Hilary compares
24,171 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Hilary's all-time total is 63x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hilary | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 24,171 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,217 | 48 | 19,840 |
Hilary's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Hilary's SSA record in two at 1974 and the more recent half accounts for 77% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 23%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1914, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 1,217, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Hilary at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#3,980
Active since
1914
Hilary popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 1,217
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Hilary popularity over time - boys
2,197 total births recorded since 1882 (Hilary as boys' name)
Hilary by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Hilary's strongest decade.
8,337 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Hilary births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 20
1910s
20 births
- 1920s 38
1920s
38 births
- 1930s 77
1930s
77 births
- 1940s 424
1940s
424 births
- 1950s 1,289
1950s
1,289 births
- 1960s 2,411
1960s
2,411 births
- 1970s
1970s
4,951 births
- 1980s
1980s
8,337 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,553 births
- 2000s 1,362
2000s
1,362 births
- 2010s 501
2010s
501 births
- 2020s 208
2020s
208 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 8,337 births (34% of all-time use).
How Hilary compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Hilary's total volume
Hilary vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Hilary by state
Where Hilary concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,291 | 13.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 2,119 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,397 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 1,154 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,019 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 918 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 889 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 819 | 3.4% |
California share of Hilary's total US births 13.6%
Even split
3,291 of 24,171 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Hilary appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hilary? ▼
24,171 babies have been named Hilary since 1914. It currently ranks #3980 among girls. The peak year was 1990 with 1,217 births.
When was Hilary most popular? ▼
Hilary was most popular in the 1980s decade with 8,337 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Hilary most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Hilary are California (3,291 births), New York (2,119 births), Texas (1,397 births).
Is Hilary a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Hilary is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 24,171 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,197 births.
How long has the name Hilary been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Hilary since 1914 -- 112 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Hilary? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hilda, Hillary, Hilma, Hildred, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Hilary's data
- Hilary's decade-level peak was the 1980s (8,337 total births); usage has since declined to 208 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Hilarys (3,291 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Hilary
Nearby Names Like Hilary
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hilary
Hilda Girl
#3014 81,022 births
Hillary Girl
#2333 29,043 births
Hilma Girl
2,999 births
Hildred Girl
2,404 births
Hildegarde Girl
2,326 births
Compare Hilary side by side: Hilary vs Hilda Hilary vs Hillary Hilary vs Hilma
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hilary
Annastasia #3979
2,083 births · Peak 2016
Gracey #3981
2,614 births · Peak 2005
Lilli #3978
3,383 births · Peak 2006
Lillianne #3982
1,343 births · Peak 2013
Cheryl #3977
439,539 births · Peak 1958
Farida #3983
860 births · Peak 2015
Savina #3976
1,350 births · Peak 2008
Vivi #3984
728 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Hilary: #3980 Unisex Name - 24,171 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/hilary. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Hilary draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.