Polly
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- POL-ee
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #211 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #2,298 for girls
Polly is a girls' name of Hebrew origin. In 2025 it ranked 211th for girls in the UK (254 babies) and 2,298th for girls in the US (79 babies).
What does Polly mean?
Hebrew: rhyming pet form of Molly, from Mary
A rhyming pet form of Molly, itself from Mary; Polly Peachum is the heroine of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728).
More on Wiktionary.
Is Polly a girl's or a boy's name?
Polly is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 254 girls in the UK and 79 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Polly in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #211among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 254about 1 in 1,100 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 4% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 254 girls in the UK were named Polly, making it the 211th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 214th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 354 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Polly than any year since 2020.
Half of all the girls named Polly in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2020. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 204th in England and Wales, 429th in Scotland and 290th in Northern Ireland.
Polly in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 254 | #211 |
| 2024 | 256 | #206 |
| 2023 | 314 | #182 |
| 2022 | 315 | #181 |
| 2021 | 354 | #166 |
| 2020 | 249 | #214 |
| 2019 | 246 | #221 |
| 2018 | 298 | #196 |
| 2017 | 257 | #220 |
| 2016 | 231 | #248 |
| 2015 | 217 | #252 |
| 2014 | 200 | #272 |
| 2013 | 216 | #251 |
| 2012 | 218 | #255 |
| 2011 | 184 | #298 |
| 2010 | 164 | #316 |
| 2009 | 151 | #336 |
| 2008 | 162 | #319 |
| 2007 | 195 | #274 |
| 2006 | 152 | #321 |
| 2005 | 182 | #268 |
| 2004 | 147 | #314 |
| 2003 | 122 | #338 |
| 2002 | 122 | #330 |
| 2001 | 134 | #302 |
| 2000 | 107 | #349 |
| 1999 | 166 | #266 |
| 1998 | 132 | #308 |
| 1997 | 187 | #241 |
| 1996 | 214 | #211 |
How popular is Polly in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,298among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 79about 1 in 20,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 50% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 79 girls in the US were named Polly, making it the 2,298th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,966th. Its busiest year was 1964, with 688 girls.
Half of all the girls named Polly in the US since 1880 were born between 1930 and 1963, the years shaded on the chart below.
Polly in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 79 | #2,298 |
| 2024 | 87 | #2,178 |
| 2023 | 66 | #2,646 |
| 2022 | 68 | #2,579 |
| 2021 | 63 | #2,715 |
| 2020 | 54 | #2,966 |
| 2019 | 49 | #3,221 |
| 2018 | 52 | #3,106 |
| 2017 | 46 | #3,386 |
| 2016 | 51 | #3,182 |
| 2015 | 51 | #3,211 |
| 2014 | 51 | #3,182 |
| 2013 | 44 | #3,511 |
| 2012 | 45 | #3,522 |
| 2011 | 44 | #3,549 |
| 2010 | 35 | #4,179 |
| 2009 | 37 | #4,106 |
| 2008 | 35 | #4,359 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4,474 |
| 2006 | 43 | #3,616 |
| 2005 | 44 | #3,400 |
| 2004 | 28 | #4,703 |
| 2003 | 27 | #4,663 |
| 2002 | 20 | #5,669 |
| 2001 | 30 | #4,103 |
| 2000 | 25 | #4,644 |
| 1999 | 21 | #5,033 |
| 1998 | 39 | #3,170 |
| 1997 | 39 | #3,033 |
| 1996 | 39 | #3,023 |
| 1995 | 39 | #2,972 |
| 1994 | 48 | #2,580 |
| 1993 | 33 | #3,346 |
| 1992 | 50 | #2,508 |
| 1991 | 62 | #2,130 |
| 1990 | 55 | #2,284 |
| 1989 | 64 | #1,976 |
| 1988 | 43 | #2,484 |
| 1987 | 61 | #1,879 |
| 1986 | 56 | #1,951 |
| 1985 | 66 | #1,726 |
| 1984 | 67 | #1,633 |
| 1983 | 62 | #1,733 |
| 1982 | 82 | #1,461 |
| 1981 | 81 | #1,490 |
| 1980 | 107 | #1,227 |
| 1979 | 114 | #1,161 |
| 1978 | 112 | #1,141 |
| 1977 | 188 | #796 |
| 1976 | 125 | #1,005 |
| 1975 | 155 | #863 |
| 1974 | 212 | #693 |
| 1973 | 220 | #679 |
| 1972 | 236 | #645 |
| 1971 | 308 | #569 |
| 1970 | 297 | #591 |
| 1969 | 296 | #572 |
| 1968 | 372 | #503 |
| 1967 | 399 | #475 |
| 1966 | 421 | #461 |
| 1965 | 447 | #452 |
| 1964 | 688 | #361 |
| 1963 | 572 | #402 |
| 1962 | 566 | #406 |
| 1961 | 659 | #376 |
| 1960 | 610 | #384 |
| 1959 | 505 | #423 |
| 1958 | 540 | #395 |
| 1957 | 509 | #411 |
| 1956 | 550 | #376 |
| 1955 | 588 | #360 |
| 1954 | 493 | #386 |
| 1953 | 513 | #376 |
| 1952 | 434 | #398 |
| 1951 | 473 | #372 |
| 1950 | 463 | #372 |
| 1949 | 473 | #363 |
| 1948 | 427 | #385 |
| 1947 | 443 | #380 |
| 1946 | 452 | #358 |
| 1945 | 398 | #342 |
| 1944 | 417 | #335 |
| 1943 | 427 | #347 |
| 1942 | 413 | #344 |
| 1941 | 435 | #313 |
| 1940 | 416 | #312 |
| 1939 | 418 | #300 |
| 1938 | 351 | #342 |
| 1937 | 372 | #320 |
| 1936 | 370 | #317 |
| 1935 | 377 | #324 |
| 1934 | 436 | #297 |
| 1933 | 372 | #324 |
| 1932 | 416 | #312 |
| 1931 | 379 | #328 |
| 1930 | 373 | #335 |
| 1929 | 394 | #326 |
| 1928 | 390 | #339 |
| 1927 | 332 | #376 |
| 1926 | 338 | #366 |
| 1925 | 320 | #380 |
| 1924 | 340 | #370 |
| 1923 | 312 | #375 |
| 1922 | 324 | #367 |
| 1921 | 285 | #401 |
| 1920 | 289 | #386 |
| 1919 | 249 | #409 |
| 1918 | 292 | #382 |
| 1917 | 267 | #385 |
| 1916 | 254 | #390 |
| 1915 | 209 | #414 |
| 1914 | 164 | #414 |
| 1913 | 138 | #421 |
| 1912 | 145 | #383 |
| 1911 | 91 | #427 |
| 1910 | 110 | #371 |
| 1909 | 82 | #404 |
| 1908 | 83 | #399 |
| 1907 | 77 | #404 |
| 1906 | 85 | #364 |
| 1905 | 71 | #401 |
| 1904 | 80 | #365 |
| 1903 | 73 | #373 |
| 1902 | 62 | #395 |
| 1901 | 62 | #376 |
| 1900 | 78 | #378 |
| 1899 | 57 | #384 |
| 1898 | 75 | #361 |
| 1897 | 66 | #362 |
| 1896 | 68 | #351 |
| 1895 | 76 | #327 |
| 1894 | 78 | #313 |
| 1893 | 61 | #343 |
| 1892 | 65 | #330 |
| 1891 | 58 | #332 |
| 1890 | 57 | #337 |
| 1889 | 56 | #329 |
| 1888 | 60 | #308 |
| 1887 | 48 | #308 |
| 1886 | 58 | #274 |
| 1885 | 43 | #306 |
| 1884 | 48 | #277 |
| 1883 | 33 | #306 |
| 1882 | 41 | #271 |
| 1881 | 48 | #222 |
| 1880 | 41 | #240 |
Names like Polly
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Nancy Annie Betsy Elsie Dorothy Nellie Frankie Rosie Etta Edith Bonnie Lottie
Other spellings of Polly
Pollie
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias
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, “Polly: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/polly, updated 20 October 2026.