Unisex name · since 1891

Jolly

Jolly has 348 recorded births since 1891 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1934 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#9,781 of 45,481
all-time among boys
348
born since 1891
1930s
peak decade

Jolly sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 348 recorded since 1891.

Jolly has 348 recorded births among boys since 1891, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1891 to 1978.

  • #9,781 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 348 born since 1891
  • 1930s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jolly ranks #9,781 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 348 born since 1891, peaking in the 1930s.

#9,781 of 45,481
all-time among boys
348
born since 1891
1930s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Jolly's 348 recorded births place it above 78.46% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Jolly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Jolly splits its recorded history at 1936: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1934 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Jolly popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1891–1978

Last recorded 1978
Peak year (1934)
14
Annual births at peak, across 88 years of records
46810121416 189119161922193019361942195119601978 6

Jolly popularity over time - girls

119 total births recorded since 1926 (Jolly as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 119 births
4681012 1926193219431947195519832022 5

Jolly by decade

1930s is the heaviest window (92 births, 26% of the file).

1930s was Jolly's strongest decade.

92 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Jolly births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1930s at 92 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Jolly? ▼
Since 1891, Social Security records show 348 babies named Jolly. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #9,781 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1978. Its busiest year on record was 1934, with 14 births.
Where does Jolly sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jolly ranks #9,781 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Jolly most popular? ▼
Jolly was most popular in the 1930s decade with 92 total births. The single peak year was 1934.
Is Jolly a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Jolly is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 348 births, and as a girl's name it has 119 births.
How long has the name Jolly been used? ▼
Jolly has been recorded in Social Security data since 1891, spanning 88 years of data through 1978.
What names are similar to Jolly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jolan, Jolon, Jolin, Jolen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Jolly's data

  • Jolly's decade-level peak was the 1930s (92 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Jolly

Nearby Names Like Jolly

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jolly

Jolan Boy
#9133 286 births
Jolon Boy
91 births
Jolin Boy
47 births
Jolen Boy
45 births
Jolyon Boy
31 births

Compare Jolly side by side: Jolly vs Jolan Jolly vs Jolon Jolly vs Jolin

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Eligha
348 births · Peak 1923
Telford
348 births · Peak 1937
Tonie
348 births · Peak 1969
Chief #5913
348 births · Peak 2020
Mclean
348 births · Peak 1996
Rahn
348 births · Peak 1954
Kerri
348 births · Peak 1975
Uthman #4179
348 births · Peak 2022

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Jolly: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1891–1978 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Jolly 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 August 2026.