Polly
Medieval alteration of Molly, which was itself a pet form of Mary. The Hebrew original Miryam has no agreed meaning, with bitterness and beloved among the suggestions.
Polly in 2025
Polly was given to 79 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 4,177th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 41,966 babies born.
The history of Polly
Polly reached its highest point in 1964, when 688 babies were given the name, ranking 649th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 447th, in 1881.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 29,708 babies have been named Polly. Half of them were born before 1949, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Polly by decade
| Decade | Babies named Polly | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 476 | 447 |
| 1890s | 661 | 508 |
| 1900s | 753 | 574 |
| 1910s | 1,924 | 599 |
| 1920s | 3,332 | 599 |
| 1930s | 3,875 | 554 |
| 1940s | 4,301 | 582 |
| 1950s | 5,068 | 653 |
| 1960s | 5,030 | 649 |
| 1970s | 1,967 | 1,018 |
| 1980s | 689 | 2,041 |
| 1990s | 425 | 3,516 |
| 2000s | 322 | 5,882 |
| 2010s | 468 | 5,468 |
| 2020s | 417 | 3,944 |
Where Polly is heading
Polly has risen 55% over the past decade, from 51 babies in 2015 to 79 in 2025.
Names like Polly
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Polly.