Hi Swistle!
Do you think Jillian will be a mom name if I gave it to a girl in the next few years? I think it’s a beautiful name and my instinct says it’ll stand the test of time and it was never so trendy as to make it sound dated, but what if I’m wrong??
Thanks!
I like the name Jillian a lot; it was on my baby name list, too. I think one reason it doesn’t feel like a mom name to me is that I don’t know a bunch of people my age with the name—or really anyone with the name. My own name and its variants (Kristen, Kirsten, Kiersten, Krista, Kristine) feel startling to me on a new baby because I have so many peers with those names and have hardly ever heard it on anyone younger. The name Sophie would feel startling to me on someone my own age, because I know of a lot of kids with the name but have hardly ever heard it on anyone older. The name Jillian, I have much less experience with. I know of the actress Gillian Anderson, and I think that’s it. Since she’s the only Gillian/Jillian who comes to mind, I’m surprised she doesn’t skew the name older for me—but I think it’s like how Drew doesn’t seem like a mom name even now that Drew Barrymore is a mom: the name was so unusual for her age group, it didn’t register in my mind as a very weighty statistic.
I looked up Gillian and Jillian on the Social Security Administration’s baby name site to get an idea for what they’ve been doing over the years. Gillian first appeared in the Top 1000 in 1968 but stayed quite unusual over the decades: 900s, 800s, 700s, sometimes 600s. It had a brief trip to the 300s from 1997 to 2002 (very likely thanks to The X Files), and then dropped back down; in 2013, it was #835.
The name Jillian appeared in the Top 1000 in 1976 and had a fast and startling rise: #620 the first year it appeared; #236 the very next year; and #96 by 1982. Anyone looking at that chart might have predicted a new Top 10 name—but it never did get higher than #96. It messed around in the 100-200 range for decades, leaving that range only as recently as 2011, when it dropped to #221. Then it was #286 in 2012, and #341 in 2013.
That’s a lot of numbers in those two paragraphs. My interpretation of those numbers is that the name did come into our society’s awareness at around Mom Age—but as you observed, it never spiked enough to sound truly Mommish. If I were about to meet a Kristen, I would be pretty confident she’d be right around my age; if I were about to meet a Jillian, I would expect anything from about 10 years older than me all the way down to infancy: not as timeless as, say, Elizabeth, but a nice long range.
The one thing that makes me feel a little alarmed is the way it is RIGHT NOW dropping, after so many years of steadiness. If it drops into the 300-400 range and stays there, no problem: it’s just a little less popular than it was. If it drops until it goes out of the Top 1000, that’s a different story.
But it’s not such a BAD story. I know lots of women my age who have names more typical of our moms’ age, and I know plenty of kids my kids’ age who have names more typical of my age. My mom and I both have friends named Judy and Susan. My son Rob and I both have friends named Karen, Amy, and Shannon. Although I am glad to be named Kristen and not a name from my mom’s generation or my kids’ generation, I don’t think it’s at all disastrous when it happens—and it happens commonly enough not to stand out much. I guess I’m a little surprised when I meet someone my age named Patty or Carol, or someone my son’s age named Michelle or Nicole, but I don’t think “Oh, poor dear soul.” People often love names for years before they have a baby to name, or become aware of names only after the names have been popular for quite some time, or like familiar names rather than new ones, or name a baby after a peer. So for many reasons, name overlap between generations is common and not something I think of as a big deal, even though I’d personally prefer to avoid it if it comes down to two names I like equally, and to be aware of the issue ahead of time so I can make a decision that takes it into account.
One advantage to using a name that might be a mom name is that it’s been around long enough to feel pretty secure about it. We know the name Jillian didn’t spike into the Top 10 and then fall right out again, leaving a poor impression. We know it hasn’t started sounding like any of the negative categories people sometimes put names into (stripper, trashy, etc.). I know I’m not feeling tired of it and ready for something new, as is common to feel about most of the names typical of one’s own generation.
As I’ve been writing this, I’ve come to a conclusion. That conclusion is that a name doesn’t really sound like a Mom Name or a Grandpa Name unless (1) it was very popular in that generation and only in that generation (as with Judy, Susan, Karen, and Amy), and/or (2) it represents a sound very popular in that generation (as with -bert and -aden). So for example, a lot of the Kris-/Chris- names sound like Parent Names now, just as a lot of -bert names sound like Grandparent Names, and just as a lot of the -aden names are going to sound like Parent Names and then Grandparent Names when this current batch of kids grows up. Jillian doesn’t click for me with any of those. It seems to me more like the names Meredith and Claire: good on moms, good on babies.
On the other hand, I think it’s very difficult to hear datedness if one is, shall we say, on the dated side oneself. That is, I know it’s very common for grandparents-to-be to suggest names that are from the era when they were naming their own children. I think the comments section is going to be very helpful on this, especially if we can get an idea of how people of different ages see the name. If people in their late 30s and early 40s (the upper range of Parent Age) are saying Jillian is a great and perfectly usable name, but people in their 20s and early 30s (the lower range of Parent Age) are saying it sounds dated, we’ll know the impression of the name is shifting. Though even in that case I’d still say it wasn’t common enough for this to rule out using it now, as I might say if you were considering the name Kristen: I love the name Kristen, but it’s a Mom Name for current babies.
Name update!
Hi Swistle!
A while back, I asked you hypothetically about the name Jillian. Since then, I had a son, Everett, whose name seems to appear often on your site, but we luckily haven’t seen too much around us yet. If Everett had been a girl, we were also thinking about Willow, which I think bears some similarity to the sound of Jillian.
Thanks!
Lindsay
I don’t think it’s a mom name. I know one who’s my age (47) and one who’s in middle school, so it seems balanced between kid & adult.
Makes me think of Jillian Michaels (trainer from The Biggest Loser). I am 34 and have only known one Jillian as a peer, and no others. I personally love the name (esp. Nickname Jill) but my husband didn’t like it at all, so it was out for us.
It makes me think of Jillian Michaels too and I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t think that makes it a Mom name though.
Growing up in the UK I knew one Gillian and she is a Mom now. At church there was a Jillian and she was a year or two older than my daughter, so she must be around 11 now. I also know a Jill my age.
I agree that it wasn’t trendy enough to sound dated. I think you should go for it. :)
I’m 33 & had 1 or 2 in my high school (not my grade). But it was on my list for my son in 2010 before we knew we were having a boy. I love the name & it doesn’t sound dated to me.
I think it’s a great strong name. I know two Jillians and both are currently middle schoolers. I would peg it as familiar, but uncommon and without a strong generation association.
I agree with this completely. My 12 year old
niece is Jillian so I don’t see it as a mom name. We call her Jill and Jilly and I think it’s cute on a kid. It’s unique enough that she doesn’t have to share it, but not odd or dated.
I’m 37 and it doesn’t sound dated. My kindergartener has a Jillian, Julia, and Juliana in his class. I don’t know any middle aged Jillians but I know several grandmas named Jill.
Jillian does not feel at all dated to me, probably because it wasn’t in the top 100 or even 50 for at any one time or generation. I know a Deborah in her early thirties and that really feels liks a mom name and have just heard of an old coworker naming their daughter Deborah after grandma. Both those names seem shocking to me. Deborah was a lot more popular than Jillian was ever for sure! I also met a two year old Nicole recently and that feels like a mom name. There were a lot of Nicole’s in the current mom generation, but Jillian was definitely not at that level. I think Jillian is a great choice!
I’m 33, and knew two people in college named Jillian, and haven’t heard it since, so I might raise an eyebrow slightly at a baby named Jillian. But I have an very “dated” name — The Baby Name Wizard book says I have a grandmother name! — that I’ve always loved.
The only Jillian I know just turned three (Jilly is so cute!). Gillians, on the other hand, seem to be showing up (as adults), all of a sudden. Gillian Robespierre, Gillian Jacobs and Gillian Flynn come to mind.
To be honest, I think it sounds dated, but not terribly so. I am 32. I would personally worry about the similarity with Julia/Juliana/Julian, but that being so on-trend probably helps keep Jillian fresher for younger ears. I wouldn’t bat an eye at a baby Jillian, especially if you love the name.
Jillian Jordan was the runner-up name for my sister that my parents decided against as being “too trendy”. My sister and I both have Mom Names (“Classic!”) that peaked in the early 60s. So to me it’s always been tied to the early 80s, but for personal reasons.
I only know two Jillians and both are a few years younger than me so 30 – 32ish? Anyway, I’ve always loved the name and I would really like it on a baby. I don’t think it will sound dated…it just doesn’t seem common enough to be dated.
I gave my daughter a Mom name (Robin, in 1984), not unwittingly, but well before the phrase “Mom name” became widely known. In grade school, there was one other girl with this name 3 grades below her, and in our community, never a boy. In the latest kids’ Boden catalog, from Gt. Britain, I note there are 2 girl models both named Robyn, so I gather this may be a name somewhat like Jillian–never going to be in the top 10 or 20, yet easily recognizable. A similar girls’ name might be Allison, or for a boy, Jared.
Unlike Robin, Jillian has the distinct advantages (to me) of not being unisex, and having an easy nickname should you want one.
While not exactly having full-blown name regret for my daughter’s name (with which she’s generally been very happy), I do now feel slightly embarrassed by having chosen a Mom name. Not the kind of embarrassed that makes me cringe, just a nagging thought that with a bit more effort or patience, I could have done better. I really don’t know whether to encourage or discourage you, so I guess it comes down to how much you love it. Sometimes when we’re lucky, things just “feel” right, and as Swistle has pointed out in other posts, most names tend to have an extremely flexible quality.
I’m your daughter’s age, and I think the name Robin is achingly cool, particularly for someone in my age group. I’m clearly an outlier, but I think the “mom/dad” names are the edgiest group of names to choose from for a child born now.
Agreed! Actually some of the “popular kids” in my grade (see a question about cool kids that Swistle answered recently) had “mom names” and totally owned them … Linda, Karen, Susan, and Deborah/Debbie, for example. I’m 28 now.. so these were high schoolers in the late 90s/early 2000s. And I always thought Judy Funnie on the show “Doug” was particularly edgy, despite having a mom name. I wonder if having a name that slightly stands out might make you a bit feistier and more interesting and thus popular …..
Also, I didn’t know the name “Amy” was associated with any particular age! I know Amys of all ages .. huh.
It’s interesting — I don’t hear Jillian as dated and, in fact, think it is cute a fresh for a baby girl. But Jill, on the other hand, sounds dated to me. I knew Jills as peers when I was growing up in the 80s. Jill, to me, is in the same category as Lisa — a name for my peers, not for babies. But I can totally imagine a little baby named Jillian today!
Lisa is extremely popular in Switzerland right now–all of the simpler “L” names seem to be.
Exactly. I had several “Jill”s in my class (and I was born in the mid-80s, so these girls would all be about to hit 30), but never knew any Jillians. I agree with others who says its reminds them of Jillian Michaels. The ONLY Jillian I know in real life is a little girl, who is often called Jilly, and I think it’s darling and fresh. Love this name!!
Ditto on this! I know a darling three year old named Jillian, and I think it is adorable.
I’ve known 2 Jillian/Gillians. Jillian is now a middle schooler. Gillian is now 3 or 4. So no, I don’t find it dated, but I wouldn’t be surprised to meet one of any age, Jillian feels pretty timeless to me.
I agree with the people who know a range of Jillians. My mother (in her middle 60s) is Jillian. I have a colleague Jillian (early 30s). Last year I had a first year student Jillian (18), and I know of a Jillian in the pre-k class above my son (age 4). So I would say that Jillian isn’t focused in one single year.
All that said, I think the phenomenon of time stamped names is really specific to names on trend that disappear, like Swistle illustrated with Kristen, they have a whole family of names that come up and go down together. I am having a difficult time pegging Jillian to any specific trend of names. I would argue that the various Ellie/Ella/Bella names will seem dated (despite their classic quality) in a few years. Others have pegged Jillian to Julia and perhaps that is right, but it would put Jillian in a more now than 1980/90s category.
Not dated at all. I agree that it was never really popular enough to sound dated, plus it was popular for more than a single generation.
Immediately my 10 yr old niece, Jillian comes to mind who it appears was named near the peak. This makes me think not a “mom” name but perhaps an aunt or older sister name, like the Jennifers my youngest sister may have had in her class.
However, when I think more about the name, I know three adult Gillians and one high school age Gillian. It also brings to mind Gillian and Jillian of TV who are adults.
The Jillian spelling feels newer to me, as the data suggests. However, if you plan to use the nickname Jill it would certainly skew “mom” for me. (I don’t think that would happen naturally unless you wanted it to).
There are no Jillians in my daughter’s day care however a lot of -en and -on endings plus a lot of -a endings, so it could mesh well with these. However, in my experience (younger mom spectrum) your Jillian could definitely have friends with mom’s named Gillian and may not have peers that share the name.
If it’s your absolute favorite, have to have, will forever regret not using this name, I don’t think it’s the problem Judy would have had in my class or Jennifer in my daughter’s. If it’s a name you think is pretty, you’d like the name yourself, but you like other names as well, then I would choose another.
I think Swistle’s point about the popularity of a “mom name” makes Jillian seem FINE for a baby. It’s such a great name. I knew two Jills in my very small class growing up (I am 33 now), but it still doesn’t sound to me like a dated name or a mom name.
Somewhat similar – maybe? – is the name Lauren, which was a common-enough name among my peers when I was growing up. According to the SSA, it broke into the double digits in popularity in the early 70s, and has stayed in the Top 100 since – although it’s growing less popular these days. But even though it hit its peak in 89 (egads – kids born in 1989 are old enough to be MOMS.), it still doesn’t feel like a Mom Name to me. One of my daughter’s friends (they are both a year old) is named Lauren and I love the name on her. It doesn’t feel dated to me in the least.
I think this is a perfect comparison to the name Lauren. I’m a Laura born in 1980 and I think of Laura as very distinctly a Mom Name now and would NEVER saddle my daughter with it. However, names beginning with Laur- are a tradition in my family so if I wanted to carry that on with a daughter, I would choose Laurel or Lauren because they feel fresher while still being very established names. I think Jillian is the same. It skews a little 1980’s to me but not negatively so, and not particularly strongly. It wouldn’t stop me from using it. I think it’s a very pretty name and I love Jilly for a little girl’s nickname!
Hmm, interesting you see the Laura/Lauren dichotomy that way. I see it completely opposite. I know Laura has fallen further than Lauren in the rankings, but Laura is a classic name with bearers going back to the 13th century in English-speaking places, and even earlier in the Roman empire. Laura’s a lot like Elizabeth, Katherine, Mary, or Emily– it’s just on more of a downswing right now. You have namesakes like Laura Ingalls Wilder, and it’s a very international name that has recognizable forms all over Europe.
Lauren is definitely sophisticated and modern feeling, but it has a lot of qualities that could make it more fleeting in the long run– it has only been in use as a girl’s name since the 1940s (thanks to Lauren Bacall), it’s a surname name, and it peaked in the late 1980s around the same time as Laura did in Laura’s most recent run. Right now Lauren is falling, too. It was #91 in the US last year, which was probably its last year in the top 100, since it was #71 in 2012.
I think out of the three, Laurel is the freshest and most unusual.
Okay, rant over. :) The basic message: I think Laura is a beautiful name!
Ha ha, that is funny! I have to say I agree though. Lauren seems more trendy (in the 1980’s) and hence, more dated and time stamped. I agree that Laura seems a better choice as far as a classic choice, and Laurel does seem freshest! (Incidentally, laurel could be tied to Ancient Rome as well, as they wore laurel leaf wreaths).
I also know a Laurel in her 30’s, but she’s the only one I know, period. It surprised me when I met her. Her parents must’ve been of the adventurous naming sort, or perhaps wanted a name similar to Laura/Lauren but just a bit different.
My cousin Jillian (she is my age, and that age is 32) is the only one I know.
She was (and is) very cool and fun, so the name seems that way to me now. She *is* a mom, but I don’t think it’s a mom name.
I find when you only know one person with a name, your associations are strongly with that person, so that’s my impression/experience.
I agree with Rachel. I’m 24. To me, Jill sounds very dated. Extremely dated. Jillian does not sound dated and the nn Jilly is adorable. If I was to meet a Jill, I’d expect someone in her forties. If was to meet a Jillian/Jilly, I wouldn’t know what age to expect because I think all ages can wear Jillian well. But that’s just my personal opinion. I know of one Jill and she’s late forties/early fifties, I’m not exactly sure how old she is. I don’t know any Jillians, but I really like the name. I think it’s very cute and it would grow with a chlid very welll.
I’m 36 and I think it’s a great name for a baby today. Not grandma–ish, not mom-ish, and teenager-ish (ie, you missed the boat and should have named your kid this 15 years ago). My vote is to go for it.
I knew a Jillian in middle school (I’m 30 now)…I kind of remember it seeming a little dated to me then . Which I think is actually good news for you, because mentally I categorize it with names like Jane and Lillian…which would have stood out for my generation but seem perfectly normal for babies now.
Also, Jack and Jill went up the hill together…so if Jack is back in style, Jill should be too.
Cute!
I’m a 30 year old Jill (not Jillian, which saddened my teenage self) and always liked that my name was unique, but still seemed classic. I’ve only met a handful of Jills/Jillians and the age range has been varied (a friend’s mom down to a student in my classroom). Naming trends seem so fluid nowadays that a ‘mom name’, ‘grandma name’ or whatnot seems to matter less and less. Go for it! :)
Ohh….I really like Jillian. Kind of the perfect simple name that has some cute nickname options.
To be honest, it does seem a little 70’s to me (mainly because of the actress Ann Jillian, which makes no sense because Jillian was her last name). But it seems dated in the way, that I wonder why it isn’t used and it seems fresh and cute.
I’m sort of on the fence. Despite having two children, I don’t think of people in my generation as having “mom” names, rather I still refer to my parents generation as the “mom” names despite that they are now becoming grandmas. I hope that makes sense. So, on that note, I can’t say I know any Jillian’s my moms age but know several in mid-30s, and none that are younger than that. So in my opinion, I see it more as an 80s name along with the Ashley’s and Chelsea’s and Sarah’s. But, based on swistles numbers from SSA it appears to be steady throughout the time.
I Do have to say that I like the spelling Gillian better than Jillian. I think it makes it seem more fresh and younger then the typical Jillian spelling
I’m 27 and have known few. I know a Gillian who is probably 10-15 years older than me (but was from another country so that might be unhelpful). I think there was one in my brother’s circle of friends, and he’s 7 years older (I have no idea how she spelled it). Finally, when I was 5, my babysitter had twins and named one Jillian. So it’s a name I think doesn’t belong to any one generation. I’ve loved it since I met baby Jillian, and I think it’d be adorable on a baby today.
As an aside, her twin brother was Dillon. The two names frequently produced tongue-tied spoonerisms, so maybe not in that combo. ;)
As a 22 year old Jillian, I love the name! I have met many “Just Jills” and that name is more “mom-ish” to me, but not Jillians. In my case it came from a children’s book my older sister loved and that influenced our parents naming choice. I think it’s a name that grows on you and has options, you can be a Jilly (that’s who I am to my friends), Jillian (how I introduce myself), or a Jill (something I allow close friends and family or acquaintances I know I’ll never meet again to call me).
I like the name a lot! I know 3 Jillians. One is 4 year old girl, one is a teenager and one is probably a grandmother. They are also spread out geographically, with 2 in far apart locations in Alaska and one in California. I think it is a great choice.
Out of the names Gillian, Jillian, and Jill, Gillian is the least mom-ish to my ear, and Jill the most. I think I’d be startled to meet a young Jill. I definitely associate it with people born from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. SSA backs me up on this– it peaked in ’77 at #41 and now looks about to leave the top 1,000 entirely. It was at #987 in 2013. So, it’s definitely fading.
Combined with Swistle’s analysis of Jillian and Gillian, I think your worries about datedness aren’t entirely unfounded, but also it’s not such a big deal. Jillian and Gillian are pulled in a more contemporary direction by the popularity and freshness of Lillian, and the general trend towards ends in -an and -en names.
Personally I love it spelled Gillian, and would suggest maybe considering that.
I personally love the name and prefer it spelled with a G. I’m in my early 20s and knew a girl about my age growing up with the name. It doesn’t strike me as a mom name… I think is unique and underused :)
I like it, but then I have a Julian so apparently the sound appeals!
I’m 32 and I went to elementary and high school with a Jillian and know another Jillian who is about 33/34. To the extent it sounds dated, I don’t think that it is unpleasant.
I am 30 and I know a couple women my own age named Jillian/Gillian and one woman about 25 years older. I also know one elementary school aged girl named Jillian. This wide range makes me think it’s somewhat classic. I would put it with a name like Allison. It might skew towards women of my generation, but I wouldn’t be shocked to hear it on anyone ages 0-45/50ish. I think Baby Name Wizard calls these names the “new classics” and I think that’s fitting. Oh! Look! I just checked and Allison and Jillian are in fact both on the “New Classics” list: http://bit.ly/1k4hdWg
If there’s any aspect of the name that’s slightly dated, it might be the Jill nickname. I can picture a Jillian of any age, but “Jill” skews “mom” to me. But I think that’s fine it you call her Jillian and I think people will go along with it if you establish her name like that. Jilly/Jillie would be cute too. She would fit in with the Milly/Lilly crowd. It’s like how William or Will sounds modern on a little boy, but Billy sounds a bit dated.
As others above pointed out — I think the trendiness of Lillian helps Jillian stay fresh sounding. And the “soft sounds” in general seem trendy to me. On top of the Lillians and Lilly -s you have all of the Lilas and Laylas and Mias and Sophias…Actually in a lot of ways it’s perfect: a name that sounds like a “trendy” name, but is recognizable and solid. The Lillian connection will help her fit in, whereas the classic aspect will endear it to your parents, because as Swistle pointed out, they’ll be familiar with it from their naming days.
The more I think about it, the more I like it. I also think a Jillian could be any type of girl too… Artistic, sporty, studious, etc.
I would go for it. Call her Jillian, and maybe give her a modern nickname to cement the ‘chic’ status… You don’t mention which middle names you might go for, but I’m picturing something more “cutting edge…”
Jillian Wren
Jillian Ever
Jillian True
Jillian Lark
Jillian Maeve
Jillian Saige
Jillian Gray
Jillian Sophie
Jillian Harper
Jillian Harlowe
Jillian Winter
Jillian Violet
Jillian Eve
Jillian Ivy
etc etc etc
Ooh, I love your comment, thank you! The new classics list is interesting. I liked your comparison of Milly and Lilly and thought that it’s unfortunate that I couldn’t just have a Millian/Milly. My off the wall favorite name is Navy, so Jillian Navy could be a compromise of sorts. I probably wouldn’t go for Navy after all, but would like the freedom of a standard name to go a little more unusual in the middle.
Jillian Navy is really cool.
I am 26 and the name seems a bit dated to me. My brother, who is only a couple of years younger than me had several Jillians in his class. There is of course the trainer Jillian Michaels. I think the big reason it skews dated/momish to me is because I automatically associate it with the name Jill (even if Jill is never used as a NN, I just can’t think of it as not Jill). Jill is the name of the mom on Home Improvement (an association that children probably wont have, but probably a lot of people who were born in the 80’s will).
Hi! I am the one who asked the question, and I like that you mention the Jill Taylor connection, because I think of that too. Home Improvement is having a big impact on my baby name decision making, because my favorite boys’ name would be Timothy…if my last name weren’t Allen!
The most depressing part is that I realized that I have tipped over into “upper end of parent age”. Sigh. :)
I have a name that was #6 for most of my mother’s generation (I am named after grandmother). I very much disliked the name growing up as it felt very mom name. President Regan’s wife having the same name did not help. So I’ve always been personally against using mom names because I disliked it.
That said, I don’t think Jillian is really a mom name, and I don’t think it is imprinted on a generation the same way some others have been. I like it!
I’m in my early 20s. I don’t think the name sounds “dated” to me, although if I had to guess an age for a Jillian, I’d feel most comfortable putting her in the 15-30 range. I have known 2 Jillian/Gillian’s in my life – Jillian was a year above me in school, and Gillian was my camper several years ago. She would be around 16 now. We affectionately called her Jelly Bean, which I love! I think it would sound fresh on a new baby, and agree that it was never trendy enough to make it sound truly dated. I would also predict that a baby with the name Jillian might age better than all the Ella’s/Sophia’s being born right now. I would say go for it!
I also meant to point out that I grew up with a whole bunch of Ashley’s, Lauren’s, Amy/Aimee’s – names that “peaked” in trendiness several years before we were born, and I’ve never heard anyone say anything about their names not belonging with our age. I think often once you give a child a name it seems like less of a big deal how trendy/dated the name is or isn’t, because that’s just their name.
Thanks, Swistle, for posting my email. I really appreciate everyone’s associations and reactions. I am 28 and know more Gillians than Jillians, and my main association is Jill “the Tool Mom” Taylor. Maybe now that this has posted, there will be a surge of Jillians, and that will make us reevaluate again!
I am 23. like Jillian and I don’t think it’s dated. I suggested Jillian for the baby I’m pregnant with now, but my husband says it’s an old lady name maybe because he doesn’t know any besides my grandma Gillian.
I read a post on the Baby Name Wizard about names that hover in the 200-400 range. The names she used as examples were Ross, Claudia, Johanna…can’t remember any others. But I loved the idea of a very familiar name that just doesn’t happen to be used a lot right now. And all of these are great names that just aren’t at the top of the charts, though I really like them! Jillian fits that mold as well, for me.
I know one Jillian and one Jill who are in their early 30s. I know one toddler named Jill, which I think wears well on a little girl and feels unusual but familiar. It does not feel like a mom name to me.
I’m in my early 30s and I don’t think of Jillian as dated at all. I know an adorable 4 year old with this name. I don’t know any other Jillian in real life.
I’m 21 and have had at least four friends my age named Jillian. I think it’s a beautiful, classic name. I strikes me no different than Meredith, Claire, Katherine, Anne, etc.
Jillian is a lovely name and I don’t find it dated at all! I’m 32 and once worked with a Jillian a few years older and thought if I ever have a daughter how much I would love to use it! so yes, It still feels fresh to me though Jill doesn’t as much. Go for it!
My daughter’s name is Gillian and she’s 11. We knew nobody with that name when we named her and now there are two others at our church right around her age. To me, Jill is a completely different name- we never call her that. We do call her Gilly a lot, pronounced with the J sound.
I think Jillian is adorable. It’s been on and off my Top 20 list for a couple years. I don’t think it sounds mom-ish at all, although I do think Jill does.
I know a Jillian who is 4, a Jillian who is 8 and a Gillian who is my age (mid-20s).
I am a teacher, and in my small elementary school I taught as many Jillians/Gillians last year as Olivias. They were also younger. “Jill” sounds more dated, but Jillian evokes Lillian and Ginny to me.
I’m a Jillian in my early twenties, and get complements on my name all the time. I almost never go by Jill (not because I dislike it, I’m simply “not a Jill”), and do think that Jill comes off a “Mom’ name, but Jillian/Gillian definitely doesn’t. I feel it echoes the currently trendy Lillian, and the hard N ending reminds me preppy up and commers like Sloane. I think using Gillian would help ward off “mom-ish” nicknames, but Jill definitely doesn’t seem like mandatory nickname for either name.
I’m 27 and don’t think Jillian sounds dated. I think this is helped by the fact that I only know one Jillian, in her late 30’s, and she actually was named Jill but legally changed her name to Jillian as an adult. And of course, what came to mind right away was Jillian from The Biggest Loser. Since my associations are so few, the TV Jillian is the first and strongest association for me. That is just something to consider.
Everyone keeps saying that Jill seems like such a Mom name, but I only know 2 Jills. Yes, they do happen to both be moms (one is late 30’s, one is early 30’s). Oh, and there is Jill Duggar who is maybe 22? I didn’t meet either of the Jills I know until I was a teenager, and I always liked their names. I know so few Jills like I do rather like the name, and it is not time-stamped in my personal experience, and I still think it’d be a nice nn for Jillian if you liked.
But I do like Jillian and think it’s a cute name!
My 5 year old daughter’s name is Jillian and I love it even more now than when we cose it for her. She is a very lively and cheerful little girl and it seems to suit her just perfectly! Love love love Jillian! Actually I’m having the hardest time coming up with a name for baby sister due in June because nothing seems as lively and vibrant and unexpected as Jillian.