← All names

Jill

Girl name · 1,914 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Jill: 1,914 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 149 births in 1977.

Of Anglo-Norman origin, Jill began as a short form of Gillian, which itself derives from the Roman name Julia, meaning “youthful” or “downy-bearded.” It entered common English usage as the female counterpart to Jack, famously paired in the nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill.” The name gained a degree of international recognition through American actress Jill Ireland, who starred in films with her husband Charles Bronson, and in later years through former US First Lady Jill Biden. As a given name, Jill saw a notable surge in Scotland during the 1960s and 1970s, though it has since become considerably less common. A popular variant is Gillian, which carries a more formal air, while the rhyming relationship with Jack has made “Jack and Jill” a lasting cultural shorthand for a boy and girl pair.