Gillian
A female given name from Latin; Medieval variant of Julian and Juliana, revived and quite popular in Britain in the mid-twentieth century.
Every Gillian since 1922 — 16,127 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Gillian
Gillian is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,307 in 2025 with 47 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1922, 16,127 American babies have been named Gillian. Its peak came in 1999, when 1,030 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gillian stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Gillian year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 47 | #3,307 | — | — |
| 2024 | 52 | #3,093 | — | — |
| 2023 | 51 | #3,199 | — | — |
| 2022 | 52 | #3,135 | — | — |
| 2021 | 51 | #3,174 | — | — |
| 2020 | 52 | #3,069 | — | — |
| 2019 | 59 | #2,834 | — | — |
| 2018 | 88 | #2,151 | — | — |
| 2017 | 81 | #2,289 | — | — |
| 2016 | 105 | #1,915 | 6 | #11,191 |
| 2015 | 120 | #1,746 | — | — |
| 2014 | 125 | #1,686 | — | — |
| 2013 | 120 | #1,730 | — | — |
| 2012 | 166 | #1,392 | — | — |
| 2011 | 188 | #1,267 | — | — |
| 2010 | 211 | #1,154 | 5 | #12,916 |
| 2009 | 251 | #1,038 | — | — |
| 2008 | 339 | #835 | — | — |
| 2007 | 366 | #790 | — | — |
| 2006 | 362 | #759 | 8 | #8,997 |
| 2005 | 420 | #661 | — | — |
| 2004 | 513 | #556 | — | — |
| 2003 | 638 | #467 | — | — |
| 2002 | 761 | #388 | — | — |
| 2001 | 863 | #348 | — | — |
| 2000 | 976 | #325 | 6 | #9,506 |
| 1995 | 221 | #871 | — | — |
| 1990 | 238 | #822 | 7 | #6,681 |
| 1985 | 234 | #738 | — | — |
| 1980 | 173 | #886 | — | — |
| 1975 | 100 | #1,155 | — | — |
| 1970 | 125 | #998 | — | — |
| 1965 | 82 | #1,190 | — | — |
| 1960 | 19 | #2,846 | — | — |
| 1955 | 29 | #1,994 | — | — |
| 1950 | 18 | #2,377 | — | — |
| 1945 | 13 | #2,515 | — | — |
| 1940 | 7 | #3,634 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Gillian
- Gillian Anderson Actor · b. 1968
- Gillian Rubinstein Writer · b. 1942
- Gillian Flynn Writer · b. 1971
- Gillian Armstrong Film director · b. 1950
- Gillian Gilbert Musician · b. 1961
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Gillian mean?
A female given name from Latin; Medieval variant of Julian and Juliana, revived and quite popular in Britain in the mid-twentieth century.
How popular is the name Gillian in 2025?
Gillian ranked #3,307 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 47 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Gillian?
16,127 babies have been named Gillian in the United States since 1922, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Gillian most popular?
Gillian peaked in 1999, when 1,030 newborns received the name.
Is Gillian a boy or girl name?
Gillian is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Gillian rising or falling?
Gillian is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Gillian?
Well-known people named Gillian include Gillian Anderson (actor), Gillian Rubinstein (writer), Gillian Flynn (writer).