Hill
A very common English surname that began as a topographic name for someone who lived near or on a hill.
The #39 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 710 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hill comes from the common English topographic word for a raised piece of ground. In medieval records it often appeared as Atte Hill or similar forms, meaning "at the hill," for someone living by a hill. The surname was later shortened to Hill and also developed the plural form Hills in some families.
History
This is one of the most widespread English surnames, especially common in England and later in the United States. Early surname writers noted many medieval forms built from residence terms like "at the hill" or "de la Hulle," and some families preserved longer place-based forms before they were simplified. In a few cases the name may also have absorbed or overlapped with other names, such as medieval forms related to Hildred, but the main source is plainly topographic.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname dictionary called Hill one of the most common names in the London directories, and it also noted the large number of bearers of the plural form Hills.
From the historical record
“HILL London, 4, o; MDB. (ca Essex), i, o ; (ca Chester), 2, o; (ca Stafford)^ 2t, 2 ; New York, o^ i. Hildi^d, Hildreth. — Bapt 'the son of Hildred' (v. Yonge, ii. 337). Another compound of Hild, q.v. 1784. Married— Alex. Patterson and”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)Notable people named Hill
- Napoleon Hill (1883–1970)
- Archibald Hill (1886–1977)
- Damon Hill (b. 1960)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.