Holly
Girl name · #416 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Holly? In official American birth records, Holly has been tracked continuously since 1893, giving it 132 years of documented American history.
Holly ranks #416 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 751 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #491, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,397 girls born in 2025 was named Holly.
The 132-year story
Holly first appears in the Social Security records in 1893, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1983, when 6,388 girls were named Holly — good for #48 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Holly per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Holly against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Holly in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Holly is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Holly is most common
Geography matters for names, and Holly is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Holly is most common in ID (1.5 per 1,000), MN (1.1 per 1,000), CT (1 per 1,000), KS (1 per 1,000), AR (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Holly is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Holly
Statistically, parents drawn to Holly tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kelly, Heidi, Molly, April, and Alicia.
KellyHeidiMollyAprilAliciaNicoleMelissaRebecca
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Holly | 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 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Holly?
In official American birth records, the name Holly first appeared in 1893 (over 132 years ago), when 8 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Holly a popular girl name?
Holly ranked #416 among girls in 2025 with 751 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #491.
When was the name Holly most popular?
Holly peaked in 1983, when 6,388 American girls received the name (ranked #48 that year). Since 1983 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Holly?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,397 newborn American girls was named Holly. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.