Surname Hillery - Meaning and Origin
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Hillery: What does the surname Hillery mean?
Hillery is an English surname of uncertain origin. It could be derived from the Old English hyll, meaning “hill”, or from an Olde English personal name Hille, meaning “Hero”. It may also have come from a place name such as Hiller’s premium, a small village in Northamptonshire.
Hillery is one of the few surnames in the UK that has a higher frequency of occurring in Ireland than elsewhere. It can be found in record books and on-line databases from the 17th century, when it was common in the east of Ireland.
The Hillery surname has sometimes been associated with a fabulous recollection of Heroes from Scottish, lanark, and Irish history, including Thomas Hillery, who accompanied Patrick Sarsfield to the battle of the Boyne, as well as the early 17th century soldier, Sir Charles Hillery.
Many Hillerys are descended from some of these heroes and other famous individuals of different parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Often, these Hillerys achieved fame or notoriety through their work in politics, music, religion, or business.
Hillery is an unusual surname, but it is one that is steeped in history and is often a reminder of one’s connection to important figures who lived generations ago. It’s a name to be proud to carry!
Order DNA origin analysisHillery: Where does the name Hillery come from?
The last name Hillery is of English origin and is most commonly found today in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
In the UK, the Hillery family name is believed to originate from the county of Dorset, at the South West corner of England. The earliest record of the name is believed to reach as far back as the 12th century in the area. Here, the Hillery name was widely spread throughout the local village and began to spread across other counties.
In the United States, the Hillery surname is most concentrated in the Midwest andNorthern regions, with the highest concentrations in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, and Indiana. In Canada, the Hillery's are most concentrated in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta.
In the Celtic countries of Ireland and Scotland, the name Hillery can also be found. In Ireland, census records report the largest concentration of the Hillery family name in the CountySligo in the North West and the greater Dublin region.
Today, the Hillery name is found throughout the world as people have immigrated from Europe and the British Isles, helping to spread knowledge of the family name and its history with them.
Variations of the surname Hillery
The surname Hillery has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. One such spelling is Hilerie, which is a variant of Hillery. Other spellings include Hillarie, Hillerey, Hillerey, Hillere, Hillerye, Hillier, Hillierey, Hillriey, and Hillrye. Variations of the surname Hillery include Hillarie, Hillirie, Hilmery, Hillray, Hilley, Hilry, Hillry, Hilleree, Hillereey, Hillory, Hilleryy, and Hillry.
The surname Hillery is of German origin and was derived from the Middle High German word ‘hille’ meaning hill. This means that Hillery is generally associated with those who originally came from a region or location which had a hill in the landscape. The variant spellings are evidence of the various ways in which the Hillery surname has evolved and changed over the centuries.
The similarly spelled Hillory surname is of both English and Irish origin and is derived from two different linguistic backgrounds, Old English and Gaelic. The Old English version is believed to originate from hill tun, meaning ‘hill enclosure’, while the Gaelic version is derived from ‘O’ Cuillen,’ which is a nickname for a person who had curly hair.
The Hilley surname has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon name Hilig meaning holy, and was most popular in Yorkshire, England.
The Hilleree variant of the Hillery surname is believed to have a Norman origin and first appeared in English records in the 12th century. It is likely that the Hilleree spelling originates from a location called Hillerie in Normandy, France.
Lastly, the Hilleryy surname is a variant of the Hillery surname and is most commonly found in the Cheshire region of England, where it first appeared in the 14th century.
Famous people with the name Hillery
- Hillary Clinton: Former First Lady of the United States, Secretary of State, and the first woman to become the presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States.
- Michael Hillery: former President of Ireland from 1977-1990.
- Brian Hillery: former Irish politician and member of the Senate of Ireland from 1969-1981.
- Harry Hillery: former English rugby union player who represented the Barbarian F.C. and England.
- Eileen Hillery: former schoolteacher, principal, and lecturer at Inchicore College of Further Education in Dublin.
- Hollie Hillery: Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League.
- Owen Hillery: Australian rules footballer for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.
- Doug Hillery: former American basketball player, who competed for the University of San Francisco in retirement, broadcast college basketball games locally and nationally.
- Paul Hillery: American race car driver who competed in the NASCAR Busch Series from 1987 to 1989.
- Lorna Hillery: Irish artist, best known for her portrait work.