Molly
A pet form of Mary, through the medieval Malle.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Molly appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 21 different years between 1987 and 2012. Its biggest year was 1991, when 4,652 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 74 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 196 for girls. All told, 176,487 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Mollie (48,210), Molli (1,989), Mollee (765) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Mary, Sally, Sallie
Explore Molly interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 306 | No. 277 |
| 1890s | 454 | No. 353 |
| 1900s | 803 | No. 324 |
| 1910s | 2,447 | No. 316 |
| 1920s | 2,797 | No. 375 |
| 1930s | 3,119 | No. 340 |
| 1940s | 4,161 | No. 328 |
| 1950s | 6,458 | No. 320 |
| 1960s | 9,364 | No. 264 |
| 1970s | 15,715 | No. 139 |
| 1980s | 25,891 | No. 86 |
| 1990s | 36,567 | No. 74 |
| 2000s | 33,271 | No. 90 |
| 2010s | 25,553 | No. 78 |
| 2020s | 9,221 | No. 173 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.