Polly

“Variant of Molly — Bitter; or possibly rebellion/disobedience (debated Hebrew roots)” — Hebrew (via Aramaic) origin

Girl's name · #2298 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Polly has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #222 (1881) · 29,684 babies named Polly all-time · 1 in 20,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 1,000 girls in England & Wales (2025) · about 1 in 1,500 girls in N. Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 1,800 girls in Ireland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 5 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Pollys

Polly Bergen — American actress, singer, entrepreneur (1930-2014)
Polly Holliday — American actress
Polly Walker — British actress
Polly Samson — English novelist, lyricist and journalist
Polly Ann Young — American actress (1908-1997)

In stories & tradition

Polly Plummer — The Magician's Nephew · The Last Battle
Polly — Resistance · The Forbidden Time
Polly Sherman — Fawlty Towers

What Pollys become

Among 232 notable people named Polly:

Entertainers appear 2.08× more often than among typical names — e.g. Polly Bergen, American actress, singer, entrepreneur (1930-2014).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.