Holley
Holley was the 3737th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 40 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 1110th; the most babies were born in 1984 (108). Over the last ten years it has moved down 420 places. More babies were named Holley in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Holly) holly tree · English, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #3,737 girls, down 432 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 40girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1984108 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,690babies recorded
What does the name Holley mean?
Holley is a spelling of Holly, pronounced the same way, so it shares Holly's meaning and origin.
Holly is the name of the evergreen shrub with red berries, a Christmas plant, from Old English holegn. Wiktionary notes several surname sources too, including an Irish surname translated from Gaelic for holly. As a girl's name it was popularized by Holly Golightly of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, especially the 1961 film with Audrey Hepburn.
holegn (Old English, “holly”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Hollie, Holley, Ivy.
See also: English names, names that mean tree.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Holly', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'holly', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Holley popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 204 since 1911.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,737 | 40 |
| 2020 | #3,305 | 47 |
| 2010 | #3,711 | 42 |
| 2000 | #2,439 | 63 |
| 1990 | #1,830 | 78 |
| 1980 | #1,375 | 91 |
| 1970 | #1,273 | 86 |
| 1960 | #2,214 | 28 |
| 1950 | #3,129 | 12 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Holley, counting every spelling?
Holley is a spelling of Holly, a name family that ranked #386 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,737 for Holley on its own. Together these spellings went to 863 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly | 751 | #416 | 3,544 |
| Hollie | 60 | #2,834 | 330 |
| Holley | 40 | #3,737 | 203 |
| Holli | 12 | #8,556 | 71 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Holley?
40 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Holley (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Holley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 210 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Holley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Holley?
About 4,300 people born in the US named Holley are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 23 and 50. That makes Holley mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Holley by state
How common Holley was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Holley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Holley, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Holley
What does Holley mean?
Holley is a spelling of Holly, which means “holly tree” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Holley?
Holley was the 3737th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 40 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 1110th; the most babies were born in 1984 (108). Over the last ten years it has moved down 420 places. More babies were named Holley in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Holley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Holley in the US.
Where is Holley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Holley was most common in Tennessee (0.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by Washington and Texas.