Hilary is a name of Latin origin, derived from the male given name Hilarius, which means "cheerful" or "happy." It is ultimately derived from the Latin word "hilaris," which means "joyful" or "merry."
The name Hilary was popular among early Christians due to Saint Hilary of Poitiers, a 4th-century theologian and bishop who was revered for his learning and orthodoxy. He was declared a saint by Pope Honorius I in the 7th century.
In English-speaking countries, Hilary has typically been used as a male given name. However, it gained popularity as a female given name in the mid-20th century, likely due to the influence of celebrities such as Hillary Clinton, the former First Lady and Secretary of State of the United States.
Despite its traditional association with males, Hilary is now considered unisex and can be used for both boys and girls. It has been gaining popularity as a female given name in recent years, perhaps due to its strong, confident sound and its association with prominent public figures like Hillary Clinton.
Based on the annual birth statistics for the name Hilary in the United States from 1882 to 2018, we can observe several trends and patterns.
From 1882 to 1915, the number of births with the name Hilary remained relatively low, fluctuating between 7 and 36 births per year. However, starting in 1916, there was a significant increase in the popularity of this name, reaching a peak of 51 births in 1923.
The decade from 1920 to 1929 saw consistent popularity for the name Hilary, with an average of around 40 births per year. However, after 1929, there was another decline in its popularity, with fewer than 50 births recorded each year until the late 1930s.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the name Hilary remained relatively steady, with around 20 to 40 births per year. In fact, there was another peak in popularity in the early 1950s, with 39 births recorded in 1953.
However, from the mid-1950s onwards, the name Hilary began to decline in popularity once again. Between 1960 and 2018, there were fewer than 25 births per year for this name, with some years seeing as few as 5 or 6 births.
Overall, the total number of births with the name Hilary in the United States from 1882 to 2018 was 2,197. This shows that while there were periods of popularity and decline for this name over the course of more than a century, it remained a relatively uncommon choice compared to many other names throughout history.
In conclusion, these statistics demonstrate how the popularity of the name Hilary has varied over time in the United States, with certain decades seeing higher levels of popularity than others. Despite some fluctuations in its usage, however, this name has remained a consistent presence among baby names in the country since at least the late 19th century.