Hillis
A surname usually understood as a variant of Hill, likely referring to someone who lived near a hill or came from a hilly place.
The #5,884 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,633 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hillis is generally treated as a surname built on Middle English and Scots hill, meaning a hill or raised ground. The final -is is likely a regional or patronymic-style ending that helped create surname variants from the base name Hill. In practice, it is often explained as a dialectal or spelling variant rather than a completely separate root.
History
The name is found in both English and Scottish records, and later spread through Britain and the English-speaking world. Because it is close to the very common surname Hill, some bearers may descend from independent local usages in different places. The forms Hills and Hilles can appear alongside Hillis in historical records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Hillis looks so much like Hill plus a suffix, it can be hard to tell whether a particular family line began as a distinct local form or as a later spelling variant.
From the historical record
“Willelmus WilkocsoiL 1379: ibid. p. 174. iSa6-7. Lawrence Hillis and Wynefred Wyicoks: Marriage Lie. (London), i. 5. 1x76. Bapt.— John, s. Robert Wyle- cockes: St. Michael, Comhill, p. 89.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)