# Hillary

/ˈhɪɫɝi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hillary
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. given name

noun · CEFR B2

a first name for a person, usually a woman in modern times.

For teachers: A unisex given name of Latin origin, though predominantly feminine in contemporary usage.

- Hillary Clinton served as the United States Secretary of State.
- The name Hillary saw a significant spike in popularity in the United States during the early 1990s before becoming more politically polarized.

### 2. surname

noun · CEFR B2

a family name or last name.

For teachers: A surname of English and French origin, derived from the medieval given name.

- Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the first two people to reach the top of Mount Everest.
- The Hillary family name is famously associated with mountaineering history due to the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition.

## Examples

- Hillary is my new manager at work.
- The teacher called Hillary to the front of the classroom to collect her award for the best science project.
- While the name Hillary saw a significant peak in popularity during the mid-twentieth century, its usage as a given name for newborns has fluctuated considerably in recent decades.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.