Holly

Holly: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “holly tree”
Origin: English
Say it: HOL-ee · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

From the English plant name, ultimately Old English holegn. It began as a given name from the evergreen associated with Christmas.

English names Names meaning nature Names meaning tree Nature names Classic names

How popular is Holly?

2024222 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Holly in 2024739

2024 rank#419 girls

Peak year1983

Total US babies since 1880206,089

Holly is steady now but far below its 1983 peak.

Names like Holly

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Hollynholly tree · English
Hollieholly tree · English
Holliholly tree · English
Oliviaolive tree · English
Evelyndesired; little bird · English
Harperharp player · English
Violetviolet flower · English
Hazelhazel tree · English

Holly questions

What does the name Holly mean?

Holly means "holly tree". It comes from English. From the English plant name, ultimately Old English holegn. It began as a given name from the evergreen associated with Christmas.

Is Holly a boy or girl name?

Holly is mainly a girl's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Holly?

739 US babies were named Holly in 2024. Its peak year was 1983.

How do you pronounce Holly?

Holly is usually pronounced HOL-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.