Gillian

Meaning of Gillian

Gillian is a feminine form of the name Julian, which means "youthful" or "downy-bearded."

Gillian has Latin roots — browse every Latin baby name in our catalog.

Popularity of Gillian

After ranking as high as #325 in 2000, Gillian has fallen out of the US top 1,000 as of 2025.

Notable people named Gillian

• Gillian Anderson
  Actress (The X-Files)
• Gillian Flynn
  Author (Gone Girl)
• Gillian Jacobs
  Actress (Community)
• Gillian Chung
  Hong Kong Singer and Actress
• Gillian Ayres
  British Abstract Painter

More Latin names

Questions about the name Gillian

What does the name Gillian mean?

Gillian means gillian is a feminine form of the name julian, which means "youthful" or "downy-bearded.", and it comes from Latin origins.

Is Gillian a boy's or a girl's name?

Gillian is most commonly used as a girl's name in the United States.

How popular is the name Gillian?

Gillian did not appear in the top 1,000 baby names in 2025, which makes it a genuinely uncommon pick.

When was Gillian most popular?

Gillian peaked at #325 in 2000.