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Popularity of Name ‘Hillary’ on the Decline Since Bill Clinton’s Election

American babies also less frequently named Hilary, Bill, Chelsea

AP
February 5, 2016

The popularity of the name "Hillary" has declined among Americans since 1993, the year that Bill and Hillary Clinton entered the White House.

First noted by GawkerHillary was the 261st most popular name for a newborn baby girl in the United States in 1993, according to data from the Social Security Administration. The popularity of the name declined sharply the following year, Hillary becoming the 566th most popular baby girl name in 1994.

The name’s frequency continued to decline among Americans, becoming the 961st most popular female baby name in 2007. The year following, it ticked up slightly to the 721st most popular name before dropping off the tally of 1,000 most popular names entirely.

The popularity of the name "Hilary," almost identical to "Hillary," experienced a similar decline after 1993. The year prior, Hilary was the 233rd most popular baby girl name, sliding down the chart to the 652nd most frequently used baby girl name in 1993. Since, the name has not been among the top 1,000 most popular female baby names.

Americans have also less frequently been naming their male children "Bill" since 1993. Bill was the 885th most popular baby boy name the year that Clinton took office, but has not been among the 1,000 most popular male names since.

However, "William," Bill Clinton’s actual first name, has steadily been among the top 10 most popular names for about a decade.

Finally, the popularity of "Chelsea," the name of the Clintons’ daughter, also declined after 1993, though it remains quite popular. Chelsea was the 25th most popular female child name in 1993, and its frequency steadily decreased to make it the 274th most popular name in 2014.