Hilary

From the Latin adjective hilarius, meaning cheerful or merry. The name circulated through medieval England via Saint Hilary of Poitiers and gave its name to the winter terms at Oxford, Cambridge, and the English law courts. American parents adopted it sparingly for boys before the mid-twentieth century, after which it tilted almost entirely female.

The single-L spelling signals a specific vintage, usually someone carrying a canvas tote bag and a planner with actual paper pages. The name reads as composed, articulate, and firmly anchored to the late twentieth century. Most people expect a Hilary to be in her early forties, capable of chairing a meeting without raising her voice.