Holly
Holly is an English-language surname and given name.
Meaning & Origin of Holly
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Holly is an English-language surname and given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Holly
Holly first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1893, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 6,388 Hollys were born — ranking #48 that year. As of 2026, Holly ranks #408 for baby girls with 747 births, gradually rising (+12%). In total, more than 206K Hollys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Holly
Phonetically similar names — useful when Holly is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Holly
What does the name Holly mean?
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When was Holly most popular?
In which U.S. states is Holly most popular?
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About the name Holly
Holly is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1893 and has accumulated 206K births in the dataset. Holly's peak popularity came in 1983 when it ranked #48. Use the chart and map above to compare Holly's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1983 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.