Gillian
Girl name · Celtic Gaelic · English · Latin
Meaningyouthful · English form of Juliana
- US rank
- #3,296
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #303 in 1999
47 babies were named Gillian in the US in 2025. It has dropped 235 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1922–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Gillian you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Gillian
Gillian Anderson
American actress (born 1968)
Choose Gillian and your child shares a first name with Gillian Anderson, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Gillian, like who?” Gillian Anderson's Wikipedia article is available in 102 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Gillian Anderson on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 34,247 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Gillian, 47 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Gillian would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryGillian first shows up in US birth records in 1922, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 103 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1999, when it ranked #303. Today it's #3,296, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowGillian was 18× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,861 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 34,247.
- TrendGillian has slipped 235 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,296. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningGillian is an English form of Juliana, which means “youthful”. Our records link it to Celtic Gaelic, English and Latin roots.
About the name Gillian
Gillian is a girl name of Celtic Gaelic, English and Latin origin meaning “youthful”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with G and ending in “-ian”. US birth records list Gillian for girls from 1922 to 2025, in 89 of those 104 years. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked #303 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #3,296, with 47 babies.
Origin:Celtic Gaelic namesEnglish namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0.5 | 1,904,762 girls |
| 1930s | 1.1 | 909,091 girls |
| 1940s | 8.5 | 117,509 girls |
| 1950s | 12 | 82,850 girls |
| 1960s | 43 | 23,326 girls |
| 1970s | 86 | 11,624 girls |
| 1980s | 139 | 7,216 girls |
| 1990s | 233 | 4,289 girls |
| 2000s | 299 | 3,341 girls |
| 2010s | 72 | 13,916 girls |
| 2020s | 31 | 31,898 girls |
Other spellings of Gillian
More Celtic Gaelic girl names
- Girl name: Hazel · hazel tree
- Girl name: Genevieve · possibly woman of the people
- Girl name: Brianna · possibly noble, strong
- Girl name: Maisie · pearl
- Girl name: Bonnie · pretty
- Girl name: Cecelia · blind
- Girl name: Makenna · son of Kenneth
- Girl name: Katie · pure
Questions about the name Gillian
What does the name Gillian mean?
Gillian means “youthful” in English, as a form of Juliana.
What is the origin of the name Gillian?
Gillian has Celtic Gaelic, English, Latin roots in our records. Other Celtic Gaelic names include Hazel, Genevieve, Brianna.
Is Gillian a boy or girl name?
Gillian is a girl name.
How popular is the name Gillian?
Gillian ranked #3,296 for US girls in 2025, given to 47 babies. Its best year was 1999 (#303).