Molly
Molly was the 196th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,601 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 74th with 4,652 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 52 places. More babies were named Molly in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Mary · English, Hebrew
Say it MAH-lee /ˈmɑli/
- Rank in 2025
- #196 girls, down 23 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,601girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19914,652 babies
- Total since 1880
- 176,487babies recorded
What does the name Molly mean?
Molly is a pet form of Mary, made from Moll with -y; Wiktionary calls it a diminutive of Mary with r changed to l. Wikipedia notes that this kind of change, also seen in Sally for Sarah and Dolly for Dorothy, dates from the Middle Ages, and that Molly grew out of an earlier pet form Mally. It has also served as a pet form of Margaret and Martha. Mary itself comes from Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning DMNES calls uncertain.
Moll (English, “pet form of Mary”)מִרְיָם (Biblical Hebrew, “Miryam”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Mollie, Mary, Polly, Moll, Maria.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Molly', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Molly (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Molly popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 360 since 1972.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #196 | 1,601 |
| 2020 | #173 | 1,645 |
| 2010 | #87 | 3,362 |
| 2000 | #96 | 3,402 |
| 1990 | #80 | 3,965 |
| 1980 | #133 | 2,202 |
| 1970 | #259 | 1,191 |
| 1960 | #361 | 727 |
| 1950 | #324 | 564 |
| 1940 | #349 | 345 |
| 1930 | #362 | 342 |
| 1920 | #427 | 246 |
| 1910 | #316 | 145 |
| 1900 | #411 | 67 |
| 1890 | #372 | 46 |
| 1880 | #400 | 18 |
How popular is Molly, counting every spelling?
Molly is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #191 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #196 for Molly on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,822 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molly | 1,601 | #196 | 7,576 |
| Mollie | 212 | #1,116 | 1,026 |
| Molli | 9 | #10,655 | 57 |
| Mollee | — | — | 27 |
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 Molly?
1,601 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Molly (0.44 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Molly 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Molly.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Molly?
About 159,600 people born in the US named Molly are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 18 and 42. That makes Molly mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Molly by state
How common Molly was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (5.5×), New Hampshire (3.1×), Montana (2.9×), Maine (2.8×), North Dakota (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, Nevada, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Molly: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Molly, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Molly · Sibling names for Molly
Molly is also a nickname for Margaret and Mary.
Questions about the name Molly
What does Molly mean?
Molly means “pet form of Mary” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Molly?
Molly was the 196th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,601 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 74th with 4,652 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 52 places. More babies were named Molly in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Molly a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Molly in the US.
Where is Molly most popular?
In 2021–2025, Molly was most common in Vermont (5.16 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and Montana.