Holly
Girl name · #416 in 2025 · Uniqueness 48/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Holly against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Holly in class?
Holly scores 48 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. 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. In 2025 the states with the most Hollys were CA (74), TX (62), FL (30), NY (29), IL (27). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 48/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.