Sally
Sally was the 1158th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 201 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 52nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (5,265). Over the last ten years it has moved down 17 places. More babies were named Sally in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Sarah · English, Hebrew
Say it SAL-ee /ˈsæli/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,158 girls, up 11 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 201girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19475,265 babies
- Total since 1880
- 205,876babies recorded
What does the name Sally mean?
Sally is a pet form of Sarah, made by changing r to l, as with Hal from Harry and Moll from Mary, as Wiktionary notes. Sarah is Hebrew for 'princess', the name God gives to Sarai, Abraham's wife, in Genesis 17:15. Sally was common in 18th-century England and America and is used as a name on its own.
שָׂרָה (Sarah) (Biblical Hebrew, “princess”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Sarah, Sadie, Sara.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sally', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 17:15 (Sefaria, with JPS translation), Sefaria
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Sara', DMNES (Durham University)
Sally popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 647 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,158 | 201 |
| 2020 | #1,169 | 200 |
| 2010 | #1,145 | 214 |
| 2000 | #705 | 332 |
| 1990 | #450 | 549 |
| 1980 | #327 | 740 |
| 1970 | #249 | 1,247 |
| 1960 | #123 | 3,754 |
| 1950 | #78 | 4,870 |
| 1940 | #61 | 3,803 |
| 1930 | #98 | 2,542 |
| 1920 | #203 | 958 |
| 1910 | #147 | 553 |
| 1900 | #183 | 287 |
| 1890 | #193 | 154 |
| 1880 | #166 | 80 |
How popular is Sally, counting every spelling?
Sally is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #991 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,158 for Sally on its own. Together these spellings went to 243 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sally | 201 | #1,158 | 965 |
| Sallie | 33 | #4,340 | 116 |
| Saleah | 9 | #10,762 | 44 |
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 Sally?
201 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sally (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sally 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 42 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sally.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sally?
About 116,200 people born in the US named Sally are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 60 and 78. That makes Sally a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Sally by state
How common Sally was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (2.3×), Alabama (2.2×), Colorado (1.7×), North Carolina (1.7×), Virginia (1.6×). In 21 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 Sally: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sally, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sally · Sibling names for Sally
Sally is also a nickname for Sarah and Salvatore.
Questions about the name Sally
What does Sally mean?
Sally means “pet form of Sarah” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sally?
Sally was the 1158th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 201 babies. Its best year was 1939, when it ranked 52nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (5,265). Over the last ten years it has moved down 17 places. More babies were named Sally in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Sally a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Sally in the US.
Where is Sally most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sally was most common in Utah (0.28 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and Idaho.