Hilery
A feminine name of English origin meaning "cheerful" or "the cheerful one".
Name Census estimates that about 42 living Americans carry the first name Hilery. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 67.0% of registrations being male. The average person named Hilery today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hilery births was 1923 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hilery. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hilery. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
42
~ 1 in 8,160,818 Americans
Peak year
1923
9 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1942 SSA rank
#3,368
Tracked since 1916
Gender
Gender distribution for Hilery
Hilery is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 109 total registrations, 73 (67.0%) were male and 36 (33.0%) were female.
Hilery as a male name
- Ranked #3,368 in 1942
- 6 male births in 1942
- Peak: 1923 (9 births)
Hilery as a female name
- Ranked #9,804 in 1992
- 8 female births in 1992
- Peak: 1992 (8 births)
Popularity
Hilery: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hilery from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 41 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Hilery remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hilery by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hilery during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hilery
The name Hilery is believed to have its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, with roots tracing back to the Proto-Germanic word "hiliz" or "hilija," meaning "cheerful" or "joyful." The name was popular among various Germanic tribes, including the Franks, Saxons, and Goths, during the early medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hilery can be found in the Frankish Annals, a historical record of the Frankish Kingdom, where it is mentioned in reference to a noble named Hilery who lived in the 6th century. Additionally, the name appears in several ancient manuscripts and chronicles from various Germanic regions, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Icelandic Sagas.
In the 8th century, a Benedictine monk named Hilery of Arles (c. 670-749) gained prominence for his theological writings and his role in resolving disputes within the church. He is considered a notable figure in the history of the name.
During the Middle Ages, the name Hilery was relatively common among the nobility and upper classes in various parts of Europe, particularly in regions with Germanic influences. One notable bearer of the name was Hilery of Poitiers (c. 1100-1163), a French bishop and philosopher who played a significant role in the intellectual and theological debates of his time.
In the 16th century, Hilery of Cambrai (c. 1500-1567) was a renowned Flemish composer and music theorist, contributing significantly to the development of Renaissance music. His compositions and treatises on music theory have left a lasting impact on the history of Western music.
Another notable figure was Hilery Belloc (1870-1953), an English writer and historian known for his humorous verse, as well as his religious and historical works. His book "The Path to Rome" is considered a classic in travel literature.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Hilery, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Hilery + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hilery as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hilery: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hilery?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 42 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hilery going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 8,160,818 US residents.
Is Hilery a common name?
We classify Hilery as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 109 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hilery most popular?
The single biggest year for Hilery was 1923, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hilery is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hilery a male name?
Yes, 67.0% of people registered as Hilery in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.