Total births
1,453
Boys' name · since 1918
Hillel
1,453 babies named Hillel in U.S. Social Security records since 1918, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3289
- among boys today
- 1,453
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Hillel currently ranks #3289 among boys' names in America, with 1,453 babies recorded since 1918.
Social Security Administration records show Hillel recorded 1,453 times among boys since 1918, holding rank #3289 nationally today, ahead of 77% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2025.
- #3289 among boys today
- 1,453 born since 1918
- 2010s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Hillel is currently the #3289 boys' name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 1,453 born since 1918, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3289
- among boys today
- 1,453
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Hillel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3289
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Hillel was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
47 babies were named Hillel in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Hillel compares
1,453 Top 25% higher than 75% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Hillel's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hillel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,453 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 47 | 23 | 22,252 |
Hillel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Hillel's full recorded timeline at 1981, 74% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 26% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1918, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2019 peak of 47 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Hillel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#3,289
Active since
1918
Hillel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 47
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Hillel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Hillel's strongest decade.
306 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Hillel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 14
1920s
14 births
- 1930s 46
1930s
46 births
- 1940s 33
1940s
33 births
- 1950s 73
1950s
73 births
- 1960s 77
1960s
77 births
- 1970s 115
1970s
115 births
- 1980s
1980s
151 births
- 1990s
1990s
161 births
- 2000s
2000s
248 births
- 2010s
2010s
306 births
- 2020s
2020s
224 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 306 births (21% of all-time use).
How Hillel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Hillel's total volume
Hillel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Hillel by state
Where Hillel concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 696 | 47.9% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 116 | 8.0% |
| #3 | California | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #4 | Maryland | | 5 | 0.3% |
New York share of Hillel's total US births 47.9%
Even split
696 of 1,453 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hillel? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 1,453 babies named Hillel. Today it holds rank #3289 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2019, with 47 births.
When was Hillel most popular? ▼
Hillel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 306 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Hillel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Hillel are New York (696 births), New Jersey (116 births), California (5 births).
How long has the name Hillel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Hillel since 1918 -- 108 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Hillel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hilton, Hilario, Hillard, Hilary, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Hillel's data
- Hillel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (306 total births) through the 2020s (224) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Hillels (696 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Hillel
Nearby Names Like Hillel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hillel
Hilton Boy
#5912 6,925 births
Hilario Boy
#3527 4,681 births
Hillard Boy
2,356 births
Hilary Boy
2,197 births
Hilbert Boy
2,020 births
Compare Hillel side by side: Hillel vs Hilton Hillel vs Hilario Hillel vs Hillard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hillel
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, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Hillel: #3289 Boys' Name - 1,453 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/hillel. 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 Hillel 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.