Holly
An English name from the holly tree, Old English holegn, whose berried branches were cut for midwinter decoration. It has often gone to girls born near Christmas.
Holly in 2025
Holly was given to 751 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 857th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 4,415 babies born.
The history of Holly
Holly reached its highest point in 1983, when 6,415 babies were given the name, ranking 102nd that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 206,845 babies have been named Holly. Half of them were born before 1979, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation X.
Holly by decade
| Decade | Babies named Holly | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 19 | 1,680 |
| 1890s | 50 | 1,641 |
| 1900s | 61 | 1,576 |
| 1910s | 286 | 1,939 |
| 1920s | 413 | 2,068 |
| 1930s | 566 | 1,311 |
| 1940s | 4,123 | 531 |
| 1950s | 18,811 | 275 |
| 1960s | 32,297 | 156 |
| 1970s | 50,656 | 106 |
| 1980s | 49,875 | 102 |
| 1990s | 27,115 | 190 |
| 2000s | 11,605 | 398 |
| 2010s | 6,785 | 785 |
| 2020s | 4,183 | 856 |
Where Holly is heading
Holly has risen 15% over the past decade, from 653 babies in 2015 to 751 in 2025.
Names like Holly
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Holly.