Hillary

Hillary is a spelling of Hilary, derived from Latin Hilarius and ultimately connected with a Greek word for being cheerful. Its meaning is therefore related to the English word hilarious, though the name's history is much older than the modern word's usual sense of something extremely funny. Forms of Hilary have been used for both boys and girls.

Hillary Clinton is a well-known bearer of the double-l spelling. The same spelling also appears as a surname, including that of mountaineer Edmund Hillary, whose first name was Edmund. These different uses help explain the name's broad recognition. Hilary keeps the single-l form, while Hillary offers a long-established alternative with the same cheerful root.