Meaning and background
The story behind Hillary
Hillary is an English spelling variant of Hilary, a name that descends through medieval English from Latin Hilarius or Hilaria. The older Latin word is associated with cheerfulness, not with hills despite the similar beginning. In English, Hillary is normally three syllables. It has also been borne as a surname, notably by mountaineer Edmund Hillary, whose surname history should not be confused with the given name's derivation.
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About Hillary
Recorded as a dog’s name
Hillary appears in 6 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/hɪlɚi/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/hɪlɚi/ · primary stress on syllable 1HH IH1 L ER0 IY0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.