Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Hillis

Hillis

♂ Boy

Pronounced HIL-is /ˈhɪl.ɪs/Medium

Meaning: Hillis is a surname taken up as a first name. It is usually explained as a variant of Hollis, 'dweller by the holly trees,' though some trace it to the personal-name-derived surname Ellis or to a 'hill' place-name. Like other family names, it moved to given-name use in early twentieth-century America.Low

In 30 seconds: Hillis is a surname used as a boy's name, likely a variant of Hollis, 'dweller by the holly.' It was rare, peaking in the nineteen-teens.
💕 Browse more names
Origin LowEnglish
MeaningHillis is a surname taken up as a first name. It is usually explained as a variant of Hollis, 'dweller by the holly trees,' though some trace it to the personal-name-derived surname Ellis or to a 'hill' place-name. Like other family names, it moved to given-name use in early twentieth-century America.
U.S. rank (1986)#7131 ↘ Falling
1986 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1919
Total births (all-time)≈ 408

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 194219121986

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

Hillis is a surname pressed into service as a given name. It most likely varies Hollis, 'dweller by the holly trees,' though it may instead reflect the Ellis family of names or a hill-based place name. It surfaces as a boy's given name in the early twentieth-century United States, part of the wider surname-as-first-name habit.

It was never common, given to only about sixteen boys a year around its peak near 1919, and it faded steadily after that.

Did you know? Hollis, Ellis and Hillis all cross between surname and first name; Hillis is the rarest of the set and reads as a family name carried forward.
Overall data confidence 35%
References - Hillis — Surname used as given name; likely variant of Hollis 'dweller by the holly' / cf. Ellis

Variations

HollisEllisHillus

Nicknames

Hill

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Hillis…

Hollis— the name it most likely varies
Ellis— a related surname-and-first name
Willis— a like -is surname name
Otis— a similar vintage -is boy's name

Explore names like Hillis

By themerarevintageboysurname

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Hillis mean?

It is a surname used as a first name, most likely a variant of Hollis, 'dweller by the holly.'

How do you pronounce Hillis?

It is said HIL-is /ˈhɪl.ɪs/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Hillis a boy or girl name?

Hillis is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Hillis?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen boys a year around its peak in the nineteen-teens.

💬 Ask Nia