Jillianne
A feminine variant of Gillian, derived from the French form of the Germanic name Julian.
Name Census estimates that about 455 living Americans carry the first name Jillianne. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jillianne today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jillianne births was 1986 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jillianne. 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.
People living today
455
~ 1 in 753,306 Americans
Peak year
1986
23 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2016 SSA rank
#17,417
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Jillianne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jillianne from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 152 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Jillianne remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jillianne 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 Jillianne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jilliannes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jillianne
The given name Jillianne is a modern English variant derived from the name Gillian, which has its origins in the Middle Ages. The name Gillian emerged as a feminine form of the masculine name Giles, a French version of the Greek name Aegidius. This Greek name is believed to have originated from the word "aigidion," meaning "kid" or "young goat."
In the early Middle Ages, the name Giles gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France and England. Saint Giles, a 7th-century Athenian who became a hermit and later the patron saint of cripples, beggars, and lepers, played a significant role in the widespread use of this name.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Jillianne can be traced back to the late 20th century in English-speaking countries. It is a relatively modern variant that combines the traditional name Gillian with a more contemporary spelling, reflecting the ongoing evolution of names over time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gillian or its variants, albeit with different spellings. One such example is Gillian of Bingen (1098-1179), a renowned German Benedictine abbess, philosopher, composer, and visionary mystic of the High Middle Ages.
Another prominent figure was Gillian de Burgh (c. 1225-1262), an Anglo-Norman noblewoman who was the wife of Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath, and played a significant role in the political affairs of 13th-century Ireland.
In the realm of literature, Gillian Bradshaw (born 1956) is an American novelist known for her historical fiction set in ancient Rome and medieval Europe.
In the world of sports, Gillian Cooke (born 1983) is a Canadian Olympic rower who has won multiple medals, including gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Finally, Gillian Anderson (born 1968) is an American actress best known for her iconic role as Dana Scully in the acclaimed television series "The X-Files."
While these examples showcase the historical usage of the name Gillian, the specific variant Jillianne is a more modern creation, reflecting the ongoing evolution and adaptation of names across cultures and generations.
People
Jillianne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jillianne as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jillianne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jillianne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 455 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jillianne 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 753,306 US residents.
Is Jillianne a common name?
We classify Jillianne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 472 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jillianne most popular?
The single biggest year for Jillianne was 1986, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jillianne is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jillianne a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jillianne in the SSA data are female. 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.