girls' name · peaked 1964

Polly

A female given name from Hebrew.

Every Polly since 1880 — 29,708 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys
Rank 2025
#2,318
among girls
Babies in 2025
79
named Polly
Peak year
1964
688 babies
All-time total
29,708
since 1880

The story of Polly

Polly is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,318 in 2025 with 79 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 29,708 American babies have been named Polly. Its peak came in 1964, when 688 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Polly stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Polly year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 79 #2,318
2024 87 #2,193
2023 66 #2,668
2022 68 #2,597
2021 63 #2,745
2020 54 #3,001
2019 49 #3,262
2018 52 #3,147
2017 46 #3,426
2016 51 #3,214
2015 51 #3,244
2014 51 #3,218
2013 44 #3,561
2012 45 #3,568
2011 44 #3,591
2010 35 #4,280
2009 37 #4,169
2008 35 #4,430
2007 33 #4,542
2006 43 #3,663
2005 44 #3,449
2004 28 #4,788
2003 27 #4,783
2002 20 #5,845
2001 30 #4,176
2000 25 #4,754
1995 39 #3,006
1990 55 #2,308
1985 66 #1,736
1980 107 #1,235
1975 155 #867
1970 297 #593
1965 447 #453
1960 610 #384
1955 588 #360
1950 463 #374
1945 398 #343
1940 416 #313
1935 377 #324
1930 373 #335 5 #4,427
1925 320 #380
1920 289 #386
1915 209 #417
1910 110 #373
1905 71 #404
1900 78 #379
1895 76 #329
1890 57 #341
1885 43 #311
1880 41 #245

Famous people named Polly

  1. Polly Holliday Actor · b. 1937
  2. Polly Bergen Actor · 1930–2014
  3. Polly Walker Actor · b. 1966
  4. Polly Samson Writer · b. 1962
  5. Polly Draper Actor · b. 1955

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Polly mean?

A female given name from Hebrew.

How popular is the name Polly in 2025?

Polly ranked #2,318 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 79 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Polly?

29,708 babies have been named Polly in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Polly most popular?

Polly peaked in 1964, when 688 newborns received the name.

Is Polly a boy or girl name?

Polly is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Polly rising or falling?

Polly is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Polly?

Well-known people named Polly include Polly Holliday (actor), Polly Bergen (actor), Polly Walker (actor).

Names like Polly

Compare Polly with similar names →