![]() Jack and Jill by Kate Greenaway, 1900. | |
Gender | Primarily feminine |
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Origin | |
Region of origin | England |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Juliana |
Jill is an English feminine given name, often a short form of the name Gillian, which in turn originated as a Middle English variant of Juliana. Jill was such a common name that it had an everygirl quality, as in the 15th century English nursery rhyme Jack and Jill. [1] By the 17th century, the name had become a term for a "common street jade," implying promiscuous sexual behavior, and declined in usage in the Anglosphere. [2] Usage of the name increased again in the 20th century. The name was most used in English-speaking countries from the 1930s to the 1970s. It is currently well-used in the Netherlands. [3]