Ally
Girl name · #2130 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Ally? In official American birth records, Ally has been tracked continuously since 1985, giving it 40 years of documented American history.
Ally ranks #2130 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 88 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #872, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,455 girls born in 2025 was named Ally.
The 40-year story
Ally first appears in the Social Security records in 1985, when 13 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1998, when 636 girls were named Ally — good for #417 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Ally per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ally against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ally in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ally is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ally will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ally is most common
State-level data for Ally is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Ally
Statistically, parents drawn to Ally tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Reilly, Emilly, Elly, Lesly, and Nelly.
ReillyEmillyEllyLeslyNellyArelyAngelyAracely
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ally | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88 | #2117 |
| 2024 | 107 | #1870 |
| 2023 | 117 | #1750 |
| 2022 | 131 | #1612 |
| 2021 | 148 | #1450 |
| 2020 | 158 | #1373 |
| 2019 | 177 | #1295 |
| 2018 | 184 | #1255 |
| 2017 | 215 | #1152 |
| 2016 | 272 | #984 |
| 2015 | 319 | #872 |
| 2014 | 381 | #737 |
| 2013 | 463 | #605 |
| 2012 | 499 | #584 |
| 2011 | 419 | #674 |
| 2010 | 418 | #686 |
| 2009 | 349 | #810 |
| 2008 | 383 | #767 |
| 2007 | 419 | #697 |
| 2006 | 456 | #630 |
| 2005 | 425 | #652 |
| 2004 | 473 | #594 |
| 2003 | 394 | #670 |
| 2002 | 444 | #582 |
| 2001 | 383 | #657 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Ally?
In official American birth records, the name Ally first appeared in 1985 (over 40 years ago), when 13 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 40 years.
Is Ally a popular girl name?
Ally ranked #2130 among girls in 2025 with 88 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #872.
When was the name Ally most popular?
Ally peaked in 1998, when 636 American girls received the name (ranked #417 that year). Since 1998 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ally?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,455 newborn American girls was named Ally. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.