Meaning: Its source is an English expression meaning "Promontory."

Narrative: It is a surname with a number of sources. Most commonly it originated as an English name identifying families that lived near a hill.

It also evolved as a shortened form of Hilary (derived from the Latin Hilarius, meaning ''Cheerful.'')

Yet another source is the Ancient Germanic name element hild- (seen in such names as Hildegarde and Mathilde) meaning ''Battle.''