Holly
Meaningholly tree · English
- US rank
- #416
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #48 in 1983
751 babies were named Holly in the US in 2025. It has climbed 63 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1893–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Holly you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Holly
Holly Hunter
American actress (born 1958)
Choose Holly and your child shares a first name with Holly Hunter, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Holly, like who?” Holly Hunter's Wikipedia article is available in 74 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Holly Hunter on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 2,140 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Holly, 751 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Holly would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryHolly has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Hollys, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1983, when it ranked #48. Today it's #416, so it could be due a comeback.
- TrendHolly has climbed 63 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #416. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedHolly is most popular in Washington, D.C., where it ranks #150, followed by Idaho (#193) and Montana (#208). It's in the top 1,000 in 39 states.
- MeaningIn English, Holly means “holly tree”.
About the name Holly
Holly is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “holly tree”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with H and ending in “-lly”. US birth records list Holly for girls from 1893 to 2025, in 125 of those 133 years. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked #48 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #416, with 751 babies.
Origin:Old English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 18 | 54,138 girls |
| 1900s | 11 | 87,796 girls |
| 1910s | 17 | 59,067 girls |
| 1920s | 17 | 59,809 girls |
| 1930s | 39 | 25,780 girls |
| 1940s | 258 | 3,872 girls |
| 1950s | 956 | 1,046 girls |
| 1960s | 1,785 | 560 girls |
| 1970s | 3,279 | 305 girls |
| 1980s | 2,903 | 344 girls |
| 1990s | 1,496 | 668 girls |
| 2000s | 630 | 1,587 girls |
| 2010s | 388 | 2,580 girls |
| 2020s | 430 | 2,325 girls |
Other spellings of Holly
More Old English girl names
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Hazel · hazel tree
- Girl name: Ivy · ivy plant
- Girl name: Daisy · day's eye
- Girl name: Audrey · noble strength
- Unisex name: Quinn · descendant of Conn
- Unisex name: Hadley · heather meadow
- Girl name: Summer · summer
Questions about the name Holly
What does the name Holly mean?
Holly means “holly tree” in English.
What is the origin of the name Holly?
Holly has Old English roots in our records. Other Old English names include Evelyn, Hazel, Ivy.
Is Holly a boy or girl name?
Holly is a girl name.
How popular is the name Holly?
Holly ranked #416 for US girls in 2025, given to 751 babies. Its best year was 1983 (#48).