Given name & surname
Holly
“of the holly tree”
Holly is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “of the holly tree.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “of the holly tree.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Holly is a short form of Holiday.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Holly through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 206,845
- 1,541 boys · 205,304 girls
- Most popular year
- 1983
- 6,415 babies
- 2025
- 751
- #416 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +14%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 0% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 751 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 416 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 6,388 in 1983. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (74). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 182,754 as a first name in 2020; 8,365 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Holly’s family of names
In English usage, Holly is a short form of Holiday. Holly has an alternative spelling in Hollie. In English usage, Holly has a related form in Hollie.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Holly
- Holly HunterAmerican actress (born 1958)
- Holly Marie CombsAmerican actressborn 1973
- Skylar GreyAmerican singerborn 1986
- Michelle PhillipsAmerican singer and actressborn 1944
- Holly MadisonAmerican television personalityborn 1979
- Holly ValanceAustralian actress and singerborn 1983
- Holly BlackAmerican children's fiction writerborn 1971
- Mae MullerBritish singerborn 1997
- Holly HolmAmerican boxer and mixed martial artist (born 1981)
Characters named Holly: Holly Holliday (the television series Glee), Holly Goodhead (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Holly, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Halley
“from the hall near the meadow”
>99% girls
Whitley
“from the white meadow”
15% boys · 85% girls
Afton
“from the Afton river”
16% boys · 84% girls
Raven
Raven is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “resembling the black bird; a dark and mysterious beauty” (English) and “resembling the blackbird; a dark and mysterious man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
5% boys · 95% girls
Summer
“refers to the season; born in summer”
>99% girls
Marni
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Autumn
“born in the fall”
>99% girls
Heyzell
“from the hazel tree”
>99% girls