Hillery is an intriguing given name of English origin, derived from the surname Hillary, which was originally an Anglo-Norman name meaning "from the bright meadow." The name gained prominence through individuals such as Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It is a unisex name but has been more commonly used for females in recent years.
The name Hillery had a notable increase in popularity between 1914 and 1921, with a peak of 17 births recorded in 1921. However, it appears that this was an anomaly as the numbers significantly decreased afterwards, fluctuating between 6 to 13 births per year until 1958. After 1958, there were only sporadic years with births occurring, and from 1970 onwards, the name Hillery became extremely rare with no more than 6 births recorded in any given year. Overall, across a span of over 80 years (from 1887 to 1983), there were a total of 501 births with the name Hillery.