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Home › Baby Names Directory › Hilliard

Hilliard

♂ Boy

Pronounced HIL-yard /ˈhɪl.jɑrd/Medium

Meaning: Hilliard comes from a Germanic personal name and later surname built from 'hild', 'battle', and 'hard', 'brave' or 'hardy' — 'brave in battle'. It entered English as both a surname and, in the vintage era, a given name.Medium

In 30 seconds: Hilliard is a vintage name (said 'HIL-yard') from the Germanic 'hild' and 'hard', meaning 'brave in battle'.
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Origin MediumGerman, English
MeaningHilliard comes from a Germanic personal name and later surname built from 'hild', 'battle', and 'hard', 'brave' or 'hardy' — 'brave in battle'. It entered English as both a surname and, in the vintage era, a given name.
U.S. rank (1991)#8706 ↘ Falling
1991 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,859

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018801991

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Hilliard derives from a Germanic name combining 'hild', 'battle', with 'hard', 'brave' or 'hardy'. Adopted as an English surname, it was also used as a boys' given name in the early twentieth century, cresting around 1920 at a few dozen boys a year.

The name reads as a sturdy, antique choice in the family of Willard and Millard. A Hilliard born at the peak would be well over a century old now, and the name faded from use by the late twentieth century.

Did you know? Like many surnames-turned-first-names of the early 1900s, Hilliard carries a warrior meaning hidden in its two old Germanic parts.
Overall data confidence 70%
References — Hilliard — Germanic 'hild' (battle) + 'hard' (brave); surname-name

Variations

HillardHillyard

Nicknames

HillHilly

Famous Bearers

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If you like Hilliard…

Hillard— a like single-l variant of the same name
Willard— shares the -ard ending and vintage register
Millard— a same early-century -ard boys' name
Howard— another antique surname-name of the era

Explore names like Hilliard

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hilliard mean?

Hilliard is a Germanic name and surname meaning 'brave in battle', from 'hild' and 'hard'.

How do you pronounce Hilliard?

It's said HIL-yard /ˈhɪl.jɑrd/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Hilliard a boy or girl name?

Hilliard is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Hilliard?

Hilliard was an uncommon early-twentieth-century name that has since faded from use.

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