Magnolia
Magnolia was the 124th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,233 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 511 places. More babies were named Magnolia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning magnolia (the flowering tree) · Latin, French, English
Say it mag-NOHL-yuh /mæɡˈnoʊljə/
- Rank in 2025
- #124 girls, up 52 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,233girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,233 babies
- Total since 1880
- 23,403babies recorded
What does the name Magnolia mean?
Magnolia is the name of a flowering tree, named in the 18th century after the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638 to 1715), as Wiktionary explains; the surname Magnol goes back to Latin magnus, 'great'. Wiktionary describes Magnolia as one of the less common flower names that came into use in the 19th century, and Wikipedia notes its recent rise for American girls. The earlier popularity of plant names in the late 1800s, noted by Wikipedia, is part of the same fashion.
Magnol (French, “surname of Pierre Magnol”)magnus (Latin, “great”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names, names that mean flower.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Magnolia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'magnolia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Magnolia (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Magnolia
The usual nicknames for Magnolia are Maggie, Nola and Nolie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Magnolia in the last five years, 52 were named Maggie, against 2514 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maggie · also for Margaret, Magdalena, Margarita | Modern | #294 | 5,275 |
| Nola | Modern | #822 | 2,056 |
| Nolie | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Magnolias go by each one.
Magnolia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #124 | 2,233 |
| 2020 | #176 | 1,623 |
| 2010 | #1,390 | 166 |
| 2000 | #2,203 | 72 |
| 1990 | #6,006 | 15 |
| 1980 | #4,437 | 17 |
| 1970 | #6,123 | 8 |
| 1960 | #3,831 | 12 |
| 1950 | #1,401 | 43 |
| 1940 | #815 | 77 |
| 1930 | #721 | 94 |
| 1920 | #642 | 127 |
| 1910 | #433 | 85 |
| 1900 | #517 | 43 |
| 1890 | #982 | 9 |
| 1880 | #658 | 8 |
How popular is Magnolia, counting every spelling?
Magnolia has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #153 for girls in 2025, against #124 on the official list, because Kaylani/Kailani/Keilani and Isabelle/Isabel/Izabel and Ariana/Arianna/Ariannah move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Magnolia?
2,233 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Magnolia (0.62 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Magnolia 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 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Magnolia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Magnolia?
About 19,400 people born in the US named Magnolia are alive today, with a median age of 5; half are between 3 and 9. That makes Magnolia a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Magnolia by state
How common Magnolia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.6×), Arkansas (3.4×), West Virginia (3.3×), Mississippi (2.8×), Kentucky (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, New Jersey, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Magnolia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Magnolia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Magnolia · Sibling names for Magnolia
Questions about the name Magnolia
What does Magnolia mean?
Magnolia means “magnolia (the flowering tree)” (Latin, French, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Magnolia?
Magnolia was the 124th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,233 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 511 places. More babies were named Magnolia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Magnolia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Magnolia in the US.
Where is Magnolia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Magnolia was most common in Vermont (4.54 per 1,000 girls), followed by Arkansas and West Virginia.