Dolly

Did you know?

A few things about Dolly you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Dolly

Dolly Haas

German-born actress and singer (1910-1994)

Choose Dolly and your child shares a first name with Dolly Haas, a German-born actress and singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Dolly, like who?” Dolly Haas's Wikipedia article is available in 21 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Dolly Haas on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 14,225 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Dolly, 113 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Dolly would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDolly has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Dollys, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1881, when it ranked #277. Today it's #1,777, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowDolly is 7.5× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 106,383 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 14,225.
• 🚀TrendDolly has climbed 935 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,777. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedDolly is most popular in Mississippi, where it ranks #514, followed by Utah (#704) and Tennessee (#813). It's in the top 1,000 in 3 states.
• 💬MeaningDolly is an English form of Dorothy, which means “gift of God”. Our records link it to American, Greek and Spanish roots.

About the name Dolly

Dolly is a girl name of American, Greek and Spanish origin meaning “gift of God”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-lly”. US birth records list Dolly for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked #277 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,777, with 113 babies.

Origin:American namesGreek namesSpanish names