Ilaria

Ilaria is an Italian feminine name in the Hilarius family, ultimately connected with a Greek word meaning cheerful or joyful. The Latin form carried that word into later European names, including English Hilary. Ilaria preserves an Italian shape without the initial h seen in Hilaria and some related spellings.

The masculine Italian form is Ilario, and Ilary is another feminine spelling. These relationships make Ilaria a useful choice for a family honoring a Hilary while wanting an Italian form. Its joyful meaning is an expression of a positive idea rather than a prediction of a child's personality. The longer name has its own established history and does not need a modern celebrity association to explain it.