Holly
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- HOL-ee
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #152 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #416 for girls
Classic
Holly is a girls' name of English origin, meaning “holly tree”. In 2025 it ranked 152nd for girls in the UK (363 babies) and 416th for girls in the US (751 babies).
What does Holly mean?
English: English plant name, from Old English holegn
“holly tree”
Holly Golightly is the heroine of Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Holly a girl's or a boy's name?
Holly is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 363 girls in the UK and 751 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Holly in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #152among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 363about 1 in 770 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 55% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.8%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 363 girls in the UK were named Holly, making it the 152nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 78th. Its busiest year was 2002, with 3,854 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 17 years. 2025 had the fewest girls named Holly since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Holly in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2025, 491 girls in the UK were given Holly or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #130, up from #152 for this spelling alone.
- Holly 363
- Hollie 128
Among girls in 2025, it was 169th in England and Wales, 77th in Scotland and 87th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#59), 1994 (#22), 2004 (#17) and 2014 (#39).
Holly in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 363 | #152 |
| 2024 | 438 | #127 |
| 2023 | 459 | #122 |
| 2022 | 578 | #98 |
| 2021 | 674 | #88 |
| 2020 | 765 | #78 |
| 2019 | 919 | #68 |
| 2018 | 1,147 | #52 |
| 2017 | 1,196 | #52 |
| 2016 | 1,281 | #51 |
| 2015 | 1,463 | #40 |
| 2014 | 1,652 | #32 |
| 2013 | 1,840 | #29 |
| 2012 | 2,273 | #25 |
| 2011 | 2,325 | #25 |
| 2010 | 2,417 | #25 |
| 2009 | 2,623 | #17 |
| 2008 | 2,629 | #20 |
| 2007 | 2,520 | #21 |
| 2006 | 2,651 | #20 |
| 2005 | 2,827 | #19 |
| 2004 | 3,066 | #17 |
| 2003 | 3,803 | #12 |
| 2002 | 3,854 | #12 |
| 2001 | 3,088 | #17 |
| 2000 | 2,596 | #19 |
| 1999 | 2,417 | #25 |
| 1998 | 2,701 | #23 |
| 1997 | 2,848 | #22 |
| 1996 | 2,686 | #22 |
How popular is Holly in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #416among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 751about 1 in 2,100 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 751 girls in the US were named Holly, making it the 416th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 479th. Its busiest year was 1983, with 6,388 girls. It first appears in the records in 1893.
2025 had more girls named Holly than any year since 2010.
Half of all the girls named Holly in the US since 1880 were born between 1968 and 1989, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 829 girls in the US were given Holly or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #399, up from #416 for this spelling alone.
In 1914, 45% of the babies named Holly in the US were girls. By 2004 it was over 99%, with more girls than boys since 1926.
Holly in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 751 | #416 |
| 2024 | 745 | #420 |
| 2023 | 682 | #453 |
| 2022 | 693 | #457 |
| 2021 | 673 | #465 |
| 2020 | 639 | #479 |
| 2019 | 651 | #483 |
| 2018 | 608 | #512 |
| 2017 | 634 | #493 |
| 2016 | 589 | #527 |
| 2015 | 653 | #491 |
| 2014 | 714 | #448 |
| 2013 | 683 | #450 |
| 2012 | 740 | #425 |
| 2011 | 738 | #420 |
| 2010 | 775 | #409 |
| 2009 | 858 | #380 |
| 2008 | 907 | #364 |
| 2007 | 976 | #339 |
| 2006 | 955 | #346 |
| 2005 | 1,040 | #310 |
| 2004 | 1,119 | #293 |
| 2003 | 1,227 | #261 |
| 2002 | 1,363 | #231 |
| 2001 | 1,462 | #218 |
| 2000 | 1,690 | #189 |
| 1999 | 1,749 | #180 |
| 1998 | 1,921 | #163 |
| 1997 | 2,056 | #152 |
| 1996 | 2,438 | #130 |
| 1995 | 2,544 | #126 |
| 1994 | 2,924 | #112 |
| 1993 | 3,032 | #108 |
| 1992 | 3,347 | #99 |
| 1991 | 3,289 | #105 |
| 1990 | 3,772 | #89 |
| 1989 | 3,893 | #79 |
| 1988 | 4,217 | #72 |
| 1987 | 4,259 | #71 |
| 1986 | 4,838 | #63 |
| 1985 | 5,602 | #56 |
| 1984 | 5,928 | #53 |
| 1983 | 6,388 | #48 |
| 1982 | 4,682 | #61 |
| 1981 | 4,564 | #63 |
| 1980 | 5,282 | #52 |
| 1979 | 5,488 | #48 |
| 1978 | 4,972 | #55 |
| 1977 | 5,463 | #52 |
| 1976 | 5,173 | #56 |
| 1975 | 5,047 | #55 |
| 1974 | 5,144 | #56 |
| 1973 | 5,114 | #54 |
| 1972 | 4,376 | #71 |
| 1971 | 4,747 | #76 |
| 1970 | 4,940 | #74 |
| 1969 | 4,123 | #87 |
| 1968 | 3,421 | #103 |
| 1967 | 3,153 | #109 |
| 1966 | 3,398 | #101 |
| 1965 | 3,359 | #113 |
| 1964 | 3,478 | #121 |
| 1963 | 3,135 | #132 |
| 1962 | 2,922 | #148 |
| 1961 | 2,575 | #161 |
| 1960 | 2,580 | #161 |
| 1959 | 2,290 | #168 |
| 1958 | 2,242 | #168 |
| 1957 | 2,394 | #157 |
| 1956 | 2,325 | #162 |
| 1955 | 2,504 | #144 |
| 1954 | 2,092 | #166 |
| 1953 | 1,566 | #199 |
| 1952 | 1,317 | #214 |
| 1951 | 1,069 | #237 |
| 1950 | 834 | #266 |
| 1949 | 631 | #307 |
| 1948 | 672 | #294 |
| 1947 | 708 | #295 |
| 1946 | 507 | #331 |
| 1945 | 382 | #353 |
| 1944 | 305 | #415 |
| 1943 | 318 | #410 |
| 1942 | 230 | #489 |
| 1941 | 134 | #611 |
| 1940 | 74 | #827 |
| 1939 | 70 | #824 |
| 1938 | 66 | #866 |
| 1937 | 48 | #1,018 |
| 1936 | 49 | #979 |
| 1935 | 44 | #1,039 |
| 1934 | 28 | #1,372 |
| 1933 | 25 | #1,470 |
| 1932 | 32 | #1,293 |
| 1931 | 28 | #1,393 |
| 1930 | 25 | #1,568 |
| 1929 | 22 | #1,703 |
| 1928 | 24 | #1,679 |
| 1927 | 25 | #1,668 |
| 1926 | 20 | #1,931 |
| 1925 | 18 | #2,118 |
| 1924 | 18 | #2,136 |
| 1923 | 17 | #2,169 |
| 1922 | 22 | #1,836 |
| 1921 | 15 | #2,378 |
| 1920 | 18 | #2,079 |
| 1919 | 12 | #2,639 |
| 1918 | 14 | #2,375 |
| 1917 | 20 | #1,773 |
| 1916 | 18 | #1,867 |
| 1915 | 18 | #1,799 |
| 1914 | 15 | #1,740 |
| 1913 | 11 | #1,883 |
| 1912 | 9 | #1,980 |
| 1911 | 9 | #1,656 |
| 1910 | 7 | #1,935 |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 10 | #1,357 |
| 1907 | 9 | #1,384 |
| 1906 | 10 | #1,229 |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 6 | #1,658 |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,595 |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,699 |
| 1897 | 7 | #1,263 |
| 1896 | 5 | #1,582 |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 8 | #1,091 |
Names like Holly
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Molly Amber Jessica Jasmine Erin Emily Francesca Leah Abigail Hannah Ellie Amy
Other spellings of Holly
Names related to Holly
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Holly: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/holly, updated 20 October 2026.