Sally is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Sally means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Sally across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Sally has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Sally is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “princess, noblewoman”. originally a pet form of Sarah.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 205,876 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,270 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 861 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 48 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,085 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,445 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 Sally per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1947 (5,279/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (309/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1976 (54/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (33/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2013 (7/yr).
Sally has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1947, when it ranked #140 nationally (given to 5,279 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
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