Holly Name Meaning

The name Holly originates from Old English and was used as a name for holly trees, which were considered sacred and were used as symbols of good luck and protection during the winter solstice. The name has become popular as a given name for girls, likely due to its association with the holiday season and its cheerful, festive connotations.

Throughout the 20th century, the name Holly has seen a rise in popularity in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States, where it reached its peak in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. Despite its decline in popularity in recent decades, the name Holly remains a popular choice for parents and has a timeless, classic appeal.

Today, the name Holly is often associated with the festive season and its connotations of good cheer, joy, and celebration. This has helped to solidify its place as a popular name for girls, and its enduring popularity is a testament to its versatility and timeless appeal.

Infographic of Holly name meaning, which is “A refuge,” in allusion to the shrub which was formerly used to build a supposed winter refuge for elves, in the home, at Christmas time.
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Holly Name Popularity

How popular is the name Holly? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 — 0 0%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 — 0 0%
1919 — 0 0%
1920 — 0 0%
1921 — 0 0%
1922 — 0 0%
1923 1,688 5 0.0004%
1924 — 0 0%
1925 — 0 0%
1926 — 0 0%
1927 1,625 5 0.0005%
1928 — 0 0%
1929 — 0 0%
1930 1,639 5 0.0005%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 1,232 10 0.001%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 — 0 0%
1935 1,375 6 0.0006%
1936 1,140 12 0.0012%
1937 967 21 0.0021%
1938 920 26 0.0025%
1939 923 24 0.0024%
1940 903 29 0.0027%
1941 602 93 0.0083%
1942 491 180 0.0143%
1943 413 266 0.0204%
1944 418 247 0.0199%
1945 365 322 0.0264%
1946 332 462 0.0313%
1947 294 676 0.0405%
1948 296 633 0.0397%
1949 313 578 0.0359%
1950 269 782 0.0486%
1951 238 1,038 0.0612%
1952 214 1,286 0.0737%
1953 199 1,548 0.0875%
1954 166 2,086 0.1141%
1955 144 2,504 0.1361%
1956 161 2,319 0.1228%
1957 157 2,387 0.124%
1958 166 2,244 0.1187%
1959 167 2,291 0.1206%
1960 161 2,576 0.136%
1961 159 2,574 0.1363%
1962 148 2,924 0.1593%
1963 132 3,131 0.1744%
1964 120 3,480 0.1977%
1965 112 3,358 0.2053%
1966 100 3,393 0.2173%
1967 109 3,153 0.2078%
1968 103 3,421 0.2278%
1969 87 4,124 0.2677%
1970 74 4,942 0.3105%
1971 76 4,745 0.3158%
1972 71 4,376 0.3213%
1973 54 5,115 0.3945%
1974 56 5,142 0.3956%
1975 55 5,048 0.3928%
1976 56 5,176 0.4016%
1977 52 5,463 0.4053%
1978 55 4,973 0.3699%
1979 48 5,489 0.3893%
1980 52 5,285 0.3615%
1981 63 4,565 0.3106%
1982 61 4,680 0.3132%
1983 48 6,388 0.4329%
1984 53 5,926 0.3984%
1985 56 5,603 0.3691%
1986 63 4,837 0.3204%
1987 71 4,259 0.2791%
1988 72 4,217 0.2706%
1989 79 3,894 0.2413%
1990 89 3,768 0.2273%
1991 105 3,281 0.2013%
1992 99 3,338 0.2091%
1993 108 3,029 0.1943%
1994 111 2,917 0.1901%
1995 126 2,538 0.1684%
1996 130 2,431 0.1624%
1997 152 2,044 0.1382%
1998 163 1,906 0.1273%
1999 180 1,724 0.1151%
2000 189 1,678 0.1098%
2001 217 1,445 0.0959%
2002 232 1,332 0.0889%
2003 261 1,202 0.079%
2004 293 1,089 0.0714%
2005 305 1,020 0.0667%
2006 339 938 0.0599%
2007 336 950 0.0602%
2008 359 882 0.0571%
2009 366 836 0.0559%
2010 401 757 0.0525%
2011 417 709 0.0498%
2012 417 708 0.0497%
2013 439 652 0.0458%
2014 439 677 0.0465%
2015 473 622 0.0427%
2016 513 547 0.0379%
2017 469 599 0.0429%
2018 482 576 0.0419%
2019 450 622 0.0459%
2020 491 571 0.0449%
2021 455 596 0.0488%
2022 459 655 0.0496%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Holly

If you like Holly, you’ll love these other names like Holly.

What names are variants of Holly?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Holly.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Hollee

The holly tree

English

Holleigh

The holly tree

English

Holley

The holly tree

English

Holli

The holly tree

English

Hollie

The holly tree

English

Hollyann

The holly tree

English

Hollye

The holly tree

English

What names sound like Holly?

If you like how Holly sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Holly.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Hally

Army ruler, commander; hay meadow

Scandinavian

Hilly

Greatly praised

Hebrew

Holle

Hidden

German

What names are similar to Holly?

Find a name that’s like Holly, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Hollis

Near the holly bushes

English

Lists With Holly

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Holly.

Siblings of Holly

Mamas with kids named Holly also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Calvin

Hairless one

English

6 Comments

  1. Dead name

    Reply

  2. We knew we wanted something christmas-y and wintery when we going out her due date. 🙂

    Reply

  3. She is a winter baby and there are holly plants budding here. It’s a pretty seasonal and natural name.

    Reply

  4. We used the Kinder app and it felt right
    Suitable for child and adult and pronounced the same globally

    Reply

  5. Holly is my MIL’s name, and we wanted to do something special since there are only two girls in the Johnson family. She is the rock and center of the family, Godly, beautiful and fun.

    Reply

  6. We chose Holly in honor of my husband’s mom because she is so much a part of our lives and a girl is a big deal for our family out of 6 boys. Her middle name is Claire after my maternal grandfather’s mother.

    Reply

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