Meanings
gillian1
plural gillians
- obsoleteA girl, especially a wanton.
Do you snarl, you black Gill?
c. 1616–1619, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, The Knight of Malta, act 5, scene 2Synonyms: girl, promiscuous woman
Gillian2
alternative Jillian
- A female given name from Latin; Medieval variant of Julian and Juliana, revived and quite popular in Britain in the mid-twentieth century.
Dromio of Ephesus. Maud, Bridget, Marian, Cicely, Gillian, Ginn! Dromio of Syracuse. Mome, malt-horse, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch! - - - Dost thou conjure for wenches, that thou call'st for such a store
c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]1 more example
"Just Jill, I'm afraid." "Would you prefer if it was Gillian?" "Oh, I think so. Gillian sounds so much fancier." "Fancy?" Terrence said. He smiled at her. "Or perhaps it sounds flashy?" "Royal," Richard said. "Flowery," Terrence added. "You could say Gillian was more flowery. That would fit. What about you, Corrie, what does it sound like to you?" "Rich," Corrie glanced at Jill. "Gillian sounds richer than Jill."
1994, Floyd Skloot, Summer Blue, Story Line press, →ISBN, page 98
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA girl, especially a wanton.
nounA prostitute.
Origin
From the female name.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with gillian
Cite this entry
gillian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gillian
“gillian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gillian. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gillian,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gillian.
Source: gillian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.