UK girl's name
Jill
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "youthful" or "little girl".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jill is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Jill popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5876, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 8 births.
This profile covers 53 England and Wales registrations across 11 recorded years from 1996 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,015 living people in the UK are called Jill. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2013 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jill ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 8 girls were registered as Jill.
- • Jill ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #397 in 2020.
- • About 2,015 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jill as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5876
2012
Births in 2012
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
8 births
Estimated living
2,015
2026
Meaning
What does Jill mean?
The name Jill is a diminutive form of the feminine given name Gillian, which is derived from the masculine name Julian. The name Julian has its origins in the Roman family name Julianus, which was derived from the name Julius. Julius was a prominent Roman family name, believed to be related to the Greek word ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded."
The name Jill gained popularity in the Middle Ages, particularly in England and other parts of Europe. It was often used as a shortened version of Gillian, which was a common name during that time period. The earliest recorded instance of the name Jill can be found in the 14th century English poem "The Vision of Piers Plowman" by William Langland.
In literature, one of the most famous references to the name Jill is in the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill," which dates back to the 18th century. The rhyme depicts the characters Jack and Jill going up a hill to fetch a pail of water, with Jill famously taking a tumble.
Historically, several notable individuals have borne the name Jill. One of the earliest was Jill of Barnstaple, a 14th-century English nun known for her piety and charitable works. Another notable figure was Jill Ker Conway (1934-2018), an Australian-American scholar and author who served as the first female president of Smith College.
In the realm of entertainment, Jill St. John (born 1940) is an American actress and former singer, known for her roles in films such as "Diamonds Are Forever" and "The Nutty Professor." Jill Clayburgh (1944-2010) was an American actress and Academy Award nominee, acclaimed for her performances in movies like "An Unmarried Woman" and "Starting Over."
Jill Dando (1961-1999) was a British journalist and television presenter, tragically murdered in 1999. Her death received widespread media attention and sparked a major investigation, though her killer was never conclusively identified.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Jill throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jill over time
The chart below shows babies named Jill registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jill, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jill by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jill was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4944 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3750 | 22 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2671 | 23 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jill is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jill. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Jill ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #397 in 2020.
Across the UK
Jill in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#722 in 2006
33 years of NRS records, 1,914 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#397 in 2020
13 years of NISRA records, 87 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jill
-
Jill Quertier
production designer
American production designer
2000-
-
Jill Scott
photographer; association football player
English association football player
1987-
-
Jill Vidal
actor; film actor
Hong Kong pop singer
1982-
-
Jill Pittard
badminton player
badminton player
1977-
-
Jill Saward
politician
British activist (1965-2017)
1965-2017
-
Jill Stockdale
cricketer
cricketer (born 1963)
1963-
-
Jill Powell
cricketer
cricketer (born 1957)
1957-
-
Jill Saward
singer
British singer
1953-
Related
Names similar to Jill
- Jessica 105,041
- Jasmine 35,227
- Jade 19,646
- Julia 11,780
- Jennifer 11,529
- Jodie 9,357
- Jemima 6,454
- Josephine 5,889
- Jessie 5,418
- Josie 5,284
- Jasmin 4,706
- Jenna 4,646
FAQ
Jill: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jill in the UK right now?
In 2012, Jill was ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Jill most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 8 babies registered as Jill in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jill?
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "youthful" or "little girl".
How many people are called Jill in the UK?
A total of 53 babies have been registered as Jill across the 11 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,914 more in Scotland and 87 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Jill most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jill ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #397 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.