Molly is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Molly means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Molly across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Molly has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Molly is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, a form of Mary”. originally a pet form of Mary.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 176,487 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 47,402 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3,700 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,380 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,748 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,735 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Molly per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1991 (4,663/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2001 (2,987/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2007 (281/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2004 (183/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2007 (132/yr).
Molly has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1991, when it ranked #152 nationally (given to 4,688 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Millie · Miley · Mollie · Mellie · Malaya · Mallie
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