Total births
20,592
Girls' name · since 1880
Dolly
Dolly has 20,592 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1926 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1630
- among girls today
- 20,592
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
20,592 babies have been named Dolly since 1880, making it today's #1630 girls' name.
Dolly has 20,592 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1630 as of the latest data, more common than 91% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1630 among girls today
- 20,592 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Dolly is currently the #1630 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 20,592 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1630
- among girls today
- 20,592
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Dolly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1630
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Dolly was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
395 babies were named Dolly in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Dolly compares
20,592 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Dolly's all-time total is 54x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Dolly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,592 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 395 | 48 | 19,840 |
Dolly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Dolly splits its recorded history at 1953: 29% of all births land in the more recent half, 71% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2003 (10 births) -- compare that against the 1926 peak of 395 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Dolly at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#1,630
Active since
1880
Dolly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 395
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Dolly popularity over time - boys
44 total births recorded since 1916 (Dolly as boys' name)
Dolly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Dolly's strongest decade.
3,663 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Dolly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 402
1880s
402 births
- 1890s 600
1890s
600 births
- 1900s 986
1900s
986 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,415 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,663 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,192 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,543 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,417 births
- 1960s 1,464
1960s
1,464 births
- 1970s 940
1970s
940 births
- 1980s 527
1980s
527 births
- 1990s 313
1990s
313 births
- 2000s 164
2000s
164 births
- 2010s 336
2010s
336 births
- 2020s 630
2020s
630 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,663 births (18% of all-time use).
How Dolly compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Dolly's total volume
Dolly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Dolly by state
Where Dolly concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,222 | 5.9% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,100 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,077 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 845 | 4.1% |
| #5 | West Virginia | | 801 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 770 | 3.7% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 742 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 677 | 3.3% |
California share of Dolly's total US births 5.9%
Even split
1,222 of 20,592 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Dolly appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Dolly? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 20,592 babies named Dolly. Today it holds rank #1630 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1926, with 395 births.
When was Dolly most popular? ▼
Dolly was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,663 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Dolly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Dolly are California (1,222 births), Pennsylvania (1,100 births), Texas (1,077 births).
How long has the name Dolly been used? ▼
Dolly has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Dolly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Dolores, Dollie, Doloris, Dola, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Dolly's data
- Dolly's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,663 total births); usage has since declined to 630 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Dollys (1,222 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Dolly
Nearby Names Like Dolly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Dolly
Dolores Girl
#3176 211,440 births
Dollie Girl
#10272 19,237 births
Doloris Girl
1,885 births
Dola Girl
994 births
Doll Girl
363 births
Compare Dolly side by side: Dolly vs Dolores Dolly vs Dollie Dolly vs Doloris
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Dolly
Nariah #1629
3,521 births · Peak 2009
Constance #1631
139,975 births · Peak 1950
Jersey #1628
4,031 births · Peak 2010
Pepper #1632
3,306 births · Peak 2014
Jaylin #1627
9,209 births · Peak 2007
Amia #1633
6,080 births · Peak 2014
Katrina #1626
101,493 births · Peak 1980
Liora #1634
1,683 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Dolly: #1630 Girls' Name - 20,592 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/dolly. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Dolly draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.