Molly Girl

Popularity: #188 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MOL-ee //ˈmɒli//

Origin: English; Irish

Meaning: English: Sea of bitterness; Irish: Star of the sea

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Molly is of English origin, deriving from the Hebrew name Miriam, which means "sea of bitterness" or "rebelliousness." The name Miriam was adapted into Greek as Maria, which then transitioned into Latin as Maria as well. In the medieval period, the name Maria became popular in various forms across Europe, including the diminutive form Molly, which emerged in England during the 15th century.

This diminutive form reflects a common linguistic practice of creating affectionate or familiar versions of names, particularly for women and children. Historically, the name Molly gained prominence through various cultural and literary references.

One notable touchpoint is the character Molly Bloom from James Joyce's modernist novel "Ulysses," published in 1922, which has contributed to the name's literary resonance. Additionally, the name appears in various folk songs and nursery rhymes, reinforcing its presence in English-speaking culture.

In the 18th century, Molly was also used as a term for a woman of loose morals, reflecting the complex social attitudes towards women during that era. Culturally, Molly has been associated with warmth and familiarity, often used as a term of endearment.

The name has maintained a sense of charm and approachability, which has allowed it to endure through centuries. Variants and related forms, such as Molle or Moll, have also appeared in literature and folklore, further enriching the name's historical tapestry.

Overall, Molly embodies a blend of linguistic evolution and cultural significance, making it a name with deep historical roots.

Famous people named Molly

In this section, you will find notable people named Molly. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Molly who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Molly who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Molly Ringwald is an actress best known for The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles.

Molly Shannon is an actress and comedian best known for Saturday Night Live, Superstar, and Other People.

Molly Hagan is an actress best known for The Nanny, The Mindy Project, and The Last Man on Earth.

Molly Parker is an actress best known for Deadwood, House of Cards, and The Road.

Molly Sims is a model and actress best known for Las Vegas, The Benchwarmers, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.

Molly McNearney is a writer best known for Jimmy Kimmel Live! and her work on various comedy projects.

Fictional characters named Molly

The following list of fictional characters named Molly is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Molly Weasley is a fictional character from the book series Harry Potter. She is the matriarch of the Weasley family and plays a crucial role in supporting Harry and his friends throughout their adventures.

Molly Hooper is a fictional character from the TV series Sherlock. She is a pathologist who has a close relationship with Sherlock Holmes and often assists him in his investigations.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Molly, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LucySophieEllaChloeGraceLily

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Molly. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MabelMiraMinaMiaMara

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Molly was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Molly has ranked as high as #152 nationally, which occurred in 1991, and has been most popular in California, Ohio, New York, Illinois, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Molly has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Molly is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Molly was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Molly.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,601 0 1,601
2024 1,474 0 1,474
2023 1,437 0 1,437
2022 1,481 0 1,481
2021 1,583 0 1,583
2020 1,645 0 1,645
2019 1,757 0 1,757
2018 1,799 0 1,799
2017 1,829 0 1,829
2016 1,986 0 1,986
2015 2,254 0 2,254
2014 2,610 5 2,605
2013 3,084 0 3,084
2012 3,270 9 3,261
2011 3,623 7 3,616
2010 3,369 7 3,362
2009 3,510 0 3,510
2008 3,326 5 3,321
2007 3,421 6 3,415
2006 3,133 6 3,127
2005 3,222 7 3,215
2004 3,372 28 3,344
2003 3,403 0 3,403
2002 3,119 0 3,119
2001 3,415 0 3,415
2000 3,409 7 3,402
1999 3,335 9 3,326
1998 3,198 6 3,192
1997 3,452 0 3,452
1996 3,318 6 3,312
1995 3,382 0 3,382
1994 3,447 6 3,441
1993 3,713 5 3,708
1992 4,146 9 4,137
1991 4,663 11 4,652
1990 3,974 9 3,965
1989 3,493 33 3,460
1988 3,480 19 3,461
1987 2,902 11 2,891
1986 2,558 10 2,548
1985 2,442 8 2,434
1984 2,193 15 2,178
1983 2,324 13 2,311
1982 2,337 20 2,317
1981 2,100 11 2,089
1980 2,213 11 2,202
1979 2,030 8 2,022
1978 1,940 9 1,931
1977 2,078 11 2,067
1976 1,738 9 1,729
1975 1,553 6 1,547
1974 1,485 5 1,480
1973 1,336 7 1,329
1972 1,240 6 1,234
1971 1,185 0 1,185
1970 1,191 0 1,191
1969 1,093 0 1,093
1968 1,020 0 1,020
1967 1,016 0 1,016
1966 984 0 984
1965 1,062 0 1,062
1964 1,001 0 1,001
1963 859 0 859
1962 821 0 821
1961 781 0 781
1960 727 0 727
1959 763 0 763
1958 746 0 746
1957 699 0 699
1956 654 0 654
1955 622 0 622
1954 599 0 599
1953 582 0 582
1952 617 0 617
1951 612 0 612
1950 564 0 564
1949 556 0 556
1948 562 0 562
1947 484 0 484
1946 415 0 415
1945 333 0 333
1944 366 0 366
1943 386 0 386
1942 375 0 375
1941 339 0 339
1940 345 0 345
1939 348 0 348
1938 329 0 329
1937 306 0 306
1936 316 0 316
1935 301 0 301
1934 291 0 291
1933 271 0 271
1932 315 0 315
1931 300 0 300
1930 342 0 342
1929 320 0 320
1928 315 0 315
1927 258 0 258
1926 255 0 255
1925 241 0 241
1924 290 0 290
1923 293 0 293
1922 277 0 277
1921 302 0 302
1920 246 0 246
1919 258 0 258
1918 306 0 306
1917 310 0 310
1916 333 0 333
1915 325 0 325
1914 247 0 247
1913 197 0 197
1912 197 0 197
1911 129 0 129
1910 145 0 145
1909 109 0 109
1908 101 0 101
1907 113 0 113
1906 86 0 86
1905 71 0 71
1904 72 0 72
1903 75 0 75
1902 54 0 54
1901 55 0 55
1900 67 0 67
1899 47 0 47
1898 39 0 39
1897 50 0 50
1896 49 0 49
1895 45 0 45
1894 36 0 36
1893 58 0 58
1892 51 0 51
1891 33 0 33
1890 46 0 46
1889 35 0 35
1888 37 0 37
1887 32 0 32
1886 29 0 29
1885 30 0 30
1884 32 0 32
1883 30 0 30
1882 30 0 30
1881 33 0 33
1880 18 0 18

Top States for Molly (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
NY 106
7%
TX 97
7%
PA 87
6%
CA 77
5%
OH 71
5%
NJ 66
5%
NC 60
4%
IL 56
4%
MA 54
4%
MI 52
4%
WI 44
3%
FL 43
3%
MO 41
3%
GA 41
3%
UT 34
2%
VA 34
2%
WA 34
2%
TN 33
2%
IN 31
2%
MN 29
2%
KY 28
2%
MD 26
2%
SC 26
2%
CO 24
2%
AL 24
2%
LA 22
2%
AZ 21
1%
CT 20
1%
KS 17
1%
ID 16
1%
NH 15
1%
IA 14
1%
OR 12
1%
MS 11
1%
NE 11
1%
MT 10
1%
VT 9
1%
AR 9
1%
OK 8
1%
NV 8
1%
DC 6
0%
ND 6
0%
AK 5
0%
RI 5
0%
ME 5
0%
WV 5
0%