HILL
Hill is a surname of English origin, derived from the Old English word hyll, meaning a hill or a small mound of earth. As a topographic name, it was originally assigned to individuals who dwelt on or near such a natural feature. The name is thus intrinsically linked to the landscape of the British Isles, particularly England, where the earliest recorded instances appear in medieval documents.
Early instances of the surname illustrate its descriptive function. The 1260 Subsidy Rolls record a William Attehil of Cambridge, while the 1379 Poll Tax rolls list a Thomas del Hill of Yorkshire. These forms, incorporating the prepositions “atte” (at the) or “del” (of the), typify the manner in which medieval English communities employed readily recognisable geographical markers to distinguish residents.
Recent scholarship, however, recognises a secondary origin for some bearers of the name. The medieval personal and baptismal name Hille—a hypocoristic form of Anglo‑Saxon compound names beginning with the element hild (battle), such as Hildebrand or Hilliard—may have given rise to the surname in certain cases. This etymology is further supported by connections to the French name Hilaire, derived from Latin hilaris (“cheerful”), which also entered English usage as a personal name.
The surname Hill has been borne by a considerable number of individuals of historical note, with more than fifty entries in the Dictionary of National Biography and at least seventy‑five distinct coats of arms. The earliest surviving armorial device belongs to Sir Robert Hill, dated to the reign of King Henry V (circa 1430), featuring a silver field with a black chevron between three water bouchets. The oldest documented spelling of the family name is that of Gilbert del Hil, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1191 during the reign of King Richard I.
Beyond England, the surname has proliferated throughout the English‑speaking world. One of the earliest American bearers was Elizabeth Hill, recorded as born in “Elizabeth Cittie, Virginia” before 1620. The widespread distribution of the name testifies to both its descriptive origins in the medieval English countryside and its later adoption through personal‑name derivations.
Typical given names associated with the Hill surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Hills
- Hall
- Hail
- Hal
- Hallo
- Halla
- Hale
- Hails
- Hailu
- Hallee
- Hallie
- Haili
- Halli
- Hailly
- Haill
- Hil
- Hila
- Hilla
- Hille
- Hilli
- Hillo
- Hael
- Hahlo
- Haile
- Hailie
- Haillay
- Hailley
- Hailou
- Hala
- Halai
- Halaoui
- Hali
- Halioua
- Halle
- Halls
- Hally
- Halo
- Halu
- Hauile
- Haul
- Haule
- Hawl
- Hawle
- Hayle
- Hayloe
- Heal
- Heala
- Heale
- Healie
- Heall
- Healls
- Heel
- Heele
- Hehl
- Heil
- Heile
- Heill
- Hele
- Helie
- Hell
- Hella
- Helle
- Helles
- Helli
- Hellie
- Hello
- Hells
- Helly
- Helo
- Helou
- Heyl
- Heyle
- Hial
- Hiel
- Hiell
- Hile
- Hili
- Hilles
- Hillie
- Hilll
- Hilo
- Hils
- Hilu
- Hla
- Hll
- Hoal
- Hoale
- Hoehl
- Hoehle
- Hoel
- Hoell
- Hohl
- Hoil
- Hoile
- Hoill
- Hol
- Hola
- Hole
- Holi
- Holl
- Holla
- Holle
- Holli
- Hollie
- Hollo
- Hollylee
- Hool
- Hoole
- Hoolle
- Houel
- Houell
- Houil
- Houili
- Houl
- Houle
- Houll
- Houlle
- Houlli
- Howl
- Howle
- Howlie
- Howll
- Hoyl
- Hoyle
- Huell
- Huelle
- Hul
- Hula
- Hule
- Hulea
- Hull
- Hulla
- Hulle
- Huylu
- Hwyl
- Hyla
- Hyle
- Hylie
- Hyll
- Hylle
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hill in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Hill are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Chocolate Hobnob.
There are approximately 138,038 people named Hill in the UK. That makes it the 29th most common surname in Britain. Around 2,120 in a million people in Britain are named Hill.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Hill
- Benny Hill - Comedian and actor (1924 to 1992)
- Damon Hill - Racing driver
- Conleth Hill - Irish actor
- Bernard Hill - Film, stage and television actor
- Montero Lamar Hill - American singer, rapper, and songwriter
- Becky Hill - Singer
- Graham Hill - Racing driver (1929 to 1975)
- Tom Goodman-Hill - Actor
- Lauryn Hill - American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actress
- Melanie Hill - Actress
- Dave Hill - Rock guitarist
- Harry Hill - Comedian, doctor
- Jimmy Hill - Association football personality (1928 to 2015)
- Susan Hill - Author
- William Hill - Founder of William Hill the bookmakers (1903 to 1971)
- Ian Hill - Musician
- Jane Hill - Newsreader
- Keith Hill - Football player and manager
- Christopher Hill - Historian (1912 to 2003)
- Maddy Hill - Actress
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.