Hillary

Hillary is an English given name that is now primarily feminine in many countries, though it has historically been used for men under the variant Hilary. It derives from the Latin Hilarius, meaning cheerful or merry, and entered English via Old French as Hilarius or Hilaire. The modern spelling Hillary with double L is common in the United States, while Hilary with a single L remains in use in some regions and for males in others.

Notable people with the given name include Hillary Rodham Clinton (born 1947), an American politician who served as First Lady, U.S. Senator from New York, and Secretary of State, and who was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016. The name also appears as a surname; for example, Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealand mountaineer who, with Tenzing Norgay, reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.

Other individuals with Hillary as a given name include Hillary Brooke, an American actress known for work in mid-20th-century film and television. The name has appeared in various cultural works but remains relatively uncommon compared with some other given names. Variants such as Hilary and Hilary-like spellings have been used across different eras and regions.

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