Meaning & origin
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Pollyanna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,129
- 0 boys · 1,129 girls
- Most popular year
- 1964
- 53 babies
- 2025
- 19
- #6,273 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +50%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 19 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 6,273 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 50.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 53 in 1964. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 892 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Pollyanna’s family of names
Pollyanna has a related form in Polly. In English usage, Pollyanna has a related form in Polly Anna. In English usage, Pollyanna has a related form in POLLY-ANNA.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Pollyanna
- Pollyanna McIntoshScottish-born actressborn 1979
- Pollyanna ChuHong Konger businesswoman, billionaireborn 1958
- Pollyanna Johns Kimbroughformer American basketball playerborn 1975
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Pollyanna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tamera
“date palm”
>99% girls
Susanna
“resembling a graceful white lily”
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Susannah
“resembling a graceful white lily”
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Tamara
“date palm” · “from the palm tree”
>99% girls
Jeanie
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Lizabeth
“my God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Shawna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls