Hillel: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,178

among boys · ↓881 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Hillel · -31% vs 2024

How common

1 in 68,323

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2019

47 babies

All-time total

1,453

#4,045 all-time among boys

First recorded

1918

in Social Security records

Hillel popularity over time

1,453 babies have been named Hillel since 1918, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	5	1	–	#4,450
1920s	14	1	+180%	#2,845
1930s	46	5	+229%	#3,130
1940s	33	3	-28%	#2,802
1950s	73	7	+121%	#2,315
1960s	77	8	+5%	#2,537
1970s	115	12	+49%	#2,627
1980s	151	15	+31%	#2,566
1990s	161	16	+7%	#3,044
2000s	248	25	+54%	#2,910
2010s	306	31	+23%	#2,708
2020s (to 2025)	224	37	+22%	#2,806

Where Hillel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	24	0.01	outside top 500
2027	24	0.01	outside top 500
2028	24	0.01	outside top 500
2029	23	0.01	outside top 500
2030	23	0.01	outside top 500

Where Hillel is most popular

Boys named Hillel per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.022 per 1,000.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Hillel born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Jersey	53	0.263	+1078%
New York	84	0.194	+768%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
California	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Texas	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Hillel

Hillel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,178 in 2025 with 25 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1918, 1,453 American babies have been named Hillel. Its peak came in 2019, when 47 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hillel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hillel?

The median living Hillel is about 21 years old; half are between 8 and 40. An estimated 1,300 people named Hillel are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hillel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	25	#4,178
2024	36	#3,297
2023	44	#2,861
2022	46	#2,806
2021	42	#2,936
2020	31	#3,521
2019	47	#2,708
2018	36	#3,196
2017	28	#3,820
2016	29	#3,719
2015	26	#4,018
2014	33	#3,327
2013	27	#3,792
2012	30	#3,570
2011	26	#3,929
2010	24	#4,157
2009	32	#3,426
2008	22	#4,450
2007	22	#4,418
2006	23	#4,142
2005	24	#3,862
2004	35	#2,910
2003	19	#4,333
2002	28	#3,214
2001	22	#3,766
2000	21	#3,829
1995	19	#3,479
1990	20	#3,106
1985	17	#2,879
1980	17	#2,772
1975	10	#3,522
1970	10	#3,151
1965	5	#4,145
1960	6	#3,821
1955	6	#3,673
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	5	#3,899
1930	7	#3,428
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Hillel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Hillel the Elder Jewish sage (c. 110 BCE – 10 CE) -110–10 · Antiquity
2 Hillel Furstenberg American-Israeli mathematician b. 1935 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hillel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hillel?

The median living Hillel is about 21 years old. Half of all living Hillels are between 8 and 40 years old.

How many people named Hillel are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Hillel are alive in the United States, based on 1,453 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hillel mean?

Borrowed from Hebrew הִלֵּל (Hillḗl).

How popular is the name Hillel in 2025?

Hillel ranked #4,178 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 25 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hillel?

1,453 babies have been named Hillel in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hillel most popular?

Hillel peaked in 2019, when 47 newborns received the name.

Is Hillel a boy or girl name?

Hillel is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hillel rising or falling?

Hillel is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Hillel become more popular?

Hillel is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 23 boys named Hillel in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hillel?

Well-known people named Hillel include Hillel the Elder (religious figure), Hillel Furstenberg (mathematician).

Names like Hillel

Names that sound and feel close to Hillel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hillel with similar names → More names starting with H →