Girl name · Hebrew
Molly
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: pet form of MaryMolly is a girl's name that is of Hebrew origin: pet form of Mary. It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Pet form of Mary
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #196 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Molly
As a girl's name, Molly is of Hebrew origin: pet form of Mary. It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Molly on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Molly on 2 lists.
“An Irish favorite, originally a pet form of Mary”
From Female cat names, classic girl cat names
“Warm and old-fashioned, for a gentle girl”
From Girl dog names, popular girl dog names
How popular is Molly?
- US rank in 2025
- #196
- 1,601 babies, 996 per million girls
- Best rank
- #74 in 1991
- 4,652 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 176,127
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 233 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 204 per million |
| 1900s | 274 per million |
| 1910s | 300 per million |
| 1920s | 234 per million |
| 1930s | 293 per million |
| 1940s | 287 per million |
| 1950s | 336 per million |
| 1960s | 513 per million |
| 1970s | 1,017 per million |
| 1980s | 1,507 per million |
| 1990s | 2,031 per million |
| 2000s | 1,801 per million |
| 2010s | 1,460 per million |
| 2020s | 948 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157 | #166 | #158 | #161 | #173 | #186 | #199 | #209 | #208 | #196 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- AntonellaPet form of Antonia, from the Roman family name Antonius (Latin, girl)
- GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- KaiaPet form of Katarina, the Scandinavian Katherine (Greek, girl)
- MiaPet form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
- TanyaPet form of Tatiana (Latin, girl)
- AinhoaFrom a Basque town with a famous image of the Virgin Mary (Basque, girl)
- AllisonVariant of Alison, a pet form of Alice, noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- ArantxaPet form of Arantzazu, from arantza, thornbush (Basque, girl)
- BetoPet form of Alberto or Roberto (Spanish, boy)
- BognaPet form of Bogdana and other Bog- names (Polish, girl)
- CalliePet form of Caroline, or of names beginning with Cal (Germanic, girl)
- CataPet form of Catalina (Spanish, girl)
- ChabucaPet form of Isabel (Spanish, girl)
- CharoPet form of Rosario (Spanish, girl)
Middle names for Molly
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AbigailMy father is joy (Hebrew, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- NiamhBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- PrimroseFirst rose (Latin, girl)
- SeraphinaFiery ones (Hebrew, girl)
- WillowWillow tree (Old English, girl)
- ZinniaFlower named for Johann Zinn (English, girl)
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JudithWoman of judea (Hebrew, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
Molly: common questions
What does the name Molly mean?
Molly is of Hebrew origin: pet form of Mary. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Molly a boy or girl name?
Molly is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Molly come from?
Molly is of Hebrew origin: pet form of Mary. Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Molly?
Molly ranked #196 in the US in 2025, with 1,601 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Molly?
Middle names that flow well with Molly include Abigail, Anastasia, Celeste, Niamh and Primrose. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.