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Jilly

Girl name · 44 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Jilly: 44 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 9 births in 1988.

Jilly is most familiar as a friendly, affectionate shortening of Jill, which itself began as a medieval variant of Gillian — ultimately from the Latin *Juliana*, meaning "youthful" or "downy-bearded," rooted in the Roman family name *Julius*. The name rose to modern fame through English author Jilly Cooper, whose bonkbuster novels defined 1980s popular fiction, and model‑actress Jilly Johnson, a 1970s *Penthouse* Pet and later a familiar face on British television. While no major town bears the name directly, the widespread use of Jill in folk rhymes like “Jack and Jill” has given it a timeless storybook quality. Jilly remains a cheery, informal choice — equally at home as a given name in its own right or as a playful family nickname for Jillian.