Total births
205,304
Girls' name · since 1893
Holly
Holly has 205,304 recorded births since 1893 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1983 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #420
- among girls today
- 205,304
- born since 1893
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Holly is the #420 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 205,304 recorded since 1893.
Holly has 205,304 recorded births among girls since 1893, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #420 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of girls, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1893 to 2025.
- #420 among girls today
- 205,304 born since 1893
- 1970s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Holly is currently the #420 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 205,304 born since 1893, peaking in the 1970s.
- #420
- among girls today
- 205,304
- born since 1893
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Holly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#420
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Holly was born in this single decade.
1983
Single peak year
6,388 babies were named Holly in 1983 - its busiest year on record.
How Holly compares
205,304 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Holly's all-time total is 537x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Holly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 205,304 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,388 | 48 | 19,840 |
Holly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Holly's SSA record in two at 1963 and the more recent half accounts for 85% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 15%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1896, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1983 peak of 6,388, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Holly at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1983
Current rank
#420
Active since
1893
Holly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1893–2025
- Peak year (1983)
- 6,388
- Annual births at peak, across 133 years of records
Holly popularity over time - boys
1,541 total births recorded since 1880 (Holly as boys' name)
Holly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Holly's strongest decade.
50,464 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Holly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 30
1890s
30 births
- 1900s 35
1900s
35 births
- 1910s 133
1910s
133 births
- 1920s 199
1920s
199 births
- 1930s 415
1930s
415 births
- 1940s 3,961
1940s
3,961 births
- 1950s 18,633
1950s
18,633 births
- 1960s
1960s
32,144 births
- 1970s
1970s
50,464 births
- 1980s
1980s
49,653 births
- 1990s
1990s
27,072 births
- 2000s 11,597
2000s
11,597 births
- 2010s 6,785
2010s
6,785 births
- 2020s 4,183
2020s
4,183 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 50,464 births (25% of all-time use).
How Holly 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 Holly's total volume
Holly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Holly by state
Where Holly concentrates geographically, total births since 1893
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 16,794 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 13,155 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 12,133 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 11,860 | 5.8% |
| #5 | New York | | 10,437 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 9,717 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 8,842 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 6,883 | 3.4% |
California share of Holly's total US births 8.2%
Even split
16,794 of 205,304 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Holly appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Holly? ▼
Holly has been given to 205,304 babies in the U.S. since 1893, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #420 as of the latest data. 6,388 babies were born in 1983, its single highest year.
When was Holly most popular? ▼
Holly was most popular in the 1970s decade with 50,464 total births. The single peak year was 1983.
Where is Holly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Holly are California (16,794 births), Ohio (13,155 births), Texas (12,133 births).
How long has the name Holly been used? ▼
Records for Holly go back to 1893, giving 133 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Holly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Hollie, Holli, Holland, Hollis, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Holly's data
- Holly's decade-level peak was the 1970s (50,464 total births); usage has since declined to 4,183 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Hollys (16,794 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 Holly
Nearby Names Like Holly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Holly
Hollie Girl
#3016 18,453 births
Holli Girl
#9050 8,743 births
Holland Girl
#602 7,835 births
Hollis Girl
#1237 5,498 births
Holley Girl
#4315 4,486 births
Compare Holly side by side: Holly vs Hollie Holly vs Holli Holly vs Holland
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Holly
Phoenix #419
16,064 births · Peak 2020
Madilyn #421
23,632 births · Peak 2008
Liana #418
20,666 births · Peak 2025
Raelyn #422
15,768 births · Peak 2016
Carmen #417
142,795 births · Peak 1960
Willa #423
32,824 births · Peak 2019
Alayah #416
12,228 births · Peak 2020
Gracelynn #424
13,268 births · Peak 2020
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, 1893–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Holly: #420 Girls' Name - 205,304 Births, Peak 1983." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/holly. 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 Holly 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.