Molly
How to say it: MOL-ee · /ˈmɑli/
Medieval English diminutive of Mary, from Hebrew Miriam; meaning 'drop of the sea', 'bitter', or 'beloved'. source 1
Molly was the 196th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 1,601 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 28% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #219 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #196 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 1,601 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,792 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −28% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #219 |
| In France, 2025 | #567 among girls’ names, 55 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Peak years in the 1990s left Molly well above current use. Now well below that peak, further slipping looks likely over the next few years.
What goes with it
Light and mellow in sound with a gentle quality. Ruby shares its style.
Middle names that flow with Molly →
Nicknames
- Mol
Honouring a Molly in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Molly is about 1 in 75.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, English, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #567 for girls in 2025.
England and Wales: #120. Ireland: #20.
Famous people named Molly
- Molly Ringwald (born 1968)American actress and writer
- Molly Shannon (born 1964)American actress and comedian
- Molly Quinn (born 1993)American actress
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Molly is a common street name for MDMA (ecstasy)
Keep exploring
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