The Hillis surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,866 people carried this name — #5,884 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,300 people counted. That is up 3% from 5,673 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Hillis surname

Variant of Hills or Hillhouse.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Hillis» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 12 births for the Hillis name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 2 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 6
Leinster 5
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Hillis in American newspapers,
1902–1915.

Newspaper page from Dresden Enterprise And Sharon Tribune carrying the name Hillis
Dresden Enterprise And Sharon Tribune 1915-07-02
Newspaper page from Warren Sheaf carrying the name Hillis
Warren Sheaf 1909-08-12
Newspaper page from The Savannah Morning News carrying the name Hillis
The Savannah Morning News 1902-08-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 40,135 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Hillis in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

1,568 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hillis. The most, 395, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 905
New South Wales 392
Queensland 94
South Australia 71
Western Australia 68
Tasmania 23
ACT (Canberra) 12

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hillis.

Who carried it

People named Hillis,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Hillis
    John Hillis 1846–1899 · politician
  • John Hillis
    John Hillis 1847–1899 · politician
  • Elwood Hillis
    Elwood Hillis 1926–2023 · lawyer
  • David Hillis 1785–1845 · judge
  • Marjorie Hillis 1890–1971 · writer
  • Ron Hillis 1906–1976 · Australian rules football player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Hillis,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States499 records

499 records of the Hillis name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 192
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 91
  • Other U.S. records 216
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James M. Hillis

    Born 1908 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; apprentice electrician. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robinson Hillis

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the State of Nebraska from Glasgow and Moville, aged 47; contractor. From Larne, Ireland; bound for Pittsburgh.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Mack Donald Hillis

    U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War. Born 1930, died 2000; buried at Shain Memorial Cemetery, Fisk, Missouri.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 499 records for Hillis in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia104 records

104 records of the Hillis name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 40
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 38
  • Other Australian records 26
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Francis Hillis

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Cambridge, arriving 1827; ticket of leave 1842.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Hillis

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Phoenix, aged 40; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Elizabeth Hillis

    Died 1821 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 104 records for Hillis in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada71 records

71 records of the Hillis name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 38
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 10
  • Other Canadian records 23
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frank DeLancy Hillis

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 53; buried at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Pauline Evelyn Hillis

    Buried in 1998 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 89.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Llewellyn Clayton Hillis

    Died in service in 1946.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 71 records for Hillis in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Hillis name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Maria Hillis

    Died 1827 in Rotterdam, aged 41.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Robbert Hillis

    Married in 1632 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record IJeske Hillis

    Buried in 1772 in Graven.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Alkmaar (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Hillis in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Hillis name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Bain Hillis

    Buried in 1983 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 50.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Hillis

    Buried in 1805 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 57.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Hillis

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Hillis in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Hillis.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Hillis is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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