Meaning: Its source is a Greek expression meaning "Jove's descendant."

Nickname For: Julius

Narrative: Some authorities prefer the meaning ''downy beard.'' However, this might have been understood as an attribute of Jove, the chief of the Greco-Roman gods.

The original Greek name evolved into the name of a Roman clan, whose most famous member was the military and political leader Julius Caesar.

Meaning: Its source is Julian, a Latin name meaning "Jove's descendant."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English.

Nicknames: Jillie

Alternative Spellings: Jilian, Jilienne, Jilliane, Jillion and Jilliyn

Variant Forms: Jillaine, Jillane, Jillayne and Jilleen

Popularity: The name Jillian ranked 128th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 586th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name first made its appearance on state popularity lists of the 1990s, and has been trending upward in usage ever since.