Gillian is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Gillian means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Gillian across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Gillian has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Gillian is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “youthful, downy”. A feminine form of Julian, from the Roman family name Julius.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 16,127 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 257 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 8,717 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 28 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,687 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,388 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Gillian per year, United States (1922 to 2025). United States peaked in 1999 (1,030/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1977 (590/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1978 (306/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (33/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (11/yr).
Gillian has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1999, when it ranked #581 nationally (given to 1,111 babies that year).
Collin · Callan · Killian · Kylian · Kellan
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