Molly
Meaningpossibly beloved · English form of Mary
- US rank
- #196
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #74 in 1991
1,601 babies were named Molly in the US in 2025. It has dropped 23 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, 1880–2025
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 Molly you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Molly
Molly Ringwald
American actress and writer (born 1968)
Choose Molly and your child shares a first name with Molly Ringwald, an American actress and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Molly, like who?” Molly Ringwald's Wikipedia article is available in 47 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Molly Ringwald on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: CaseyJNewell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 1,004 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Molly, 1,601 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Molly would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryMolly has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Mollys, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 1991, when it reached #74.
- TrendMolly has slipped 23 places over the last five years and now sits at #196. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedMolly is most popular in Vermont, where it ranks #75, followed by Louisiana (#95) and Massachusetts (#98). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningMolly is an English form of Mary, which means “possibly beloved”. Our records link it to Hebrew and Latin roots.
About the name Molly
Molly is a girl name of Hebrew and Latin origin meaning “possibly beloved”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-lly”. US birth records list Molly for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked #74 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #196, with 1,601 babies.
Origin:Hebrew namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 240 | 4,169 girls |
| 1890s | 206 | 4,859 girls |
| 1900s | 271 | 3,689 girls |
| 1910s | 310 | 3,231 girls |
| 1920s | 235 | 4,264 girls |
| 1930s | 292 | 3,422 girls |
| 1940s | 286 | 3,496 girls |
| 1950s | 335 | 2,982 girls |
| 1960s | 521 | 1,921 girls |
| 1970s | 1,023 | 977 girls |
| 1980s | 1,501 | 666 girls |
| 1990s | 2,027 | 493 girls |
| 2000s | 1,802 | 555 girls |
| 2010s | 1,456 | 687 girls |
| 2020s | 948 | 1,055 girls |
Other spellings of Molly
More Hebrew girl names
- Girl name: Mia · possibly beloved
- Girl name: Isabella · God is my oath
- Girl name: Ava · possibly bird, or life
- Girl name: Elizabeth · God is my oath
- Girl name: Aria · solo melody
- Girl name: Ella · possibly all, entirely
- Girl name: Gianna · God is gracious
- Girl name: Sadie · princess
Questions about the name Molly
What does the name Molly mean?
Molly means “possibly beloved” in English, as a form of Mary.
What is the origin of the name Molly?
Molly has Hebrew, Latin roots in our records. Other Hebrew names include Mia, Isabella, Ava.
Is Molly a boy or girl name?
Molly is a girl name.
How popular is the name Molly?
Molly ranked #196 for US girls in 2025, given to 1,601 babies. Its best year was 1991 (#74).