Total births
176,127
Girls' name · since 1880
Molly
Molly has 176,127 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1991 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #208
- among girls today
- 176,127
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
176,127 babies have been named Molly since 1880, making it today's #208 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Molly recorded 176,127 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #208 nationally today, ahead of 99% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #208 among girls today
- 176,127 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 99% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Molly is currently the #208 girls' name in America, more common than 99% of girls - 176,127 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #208
- among girls today
- 176,127
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Molly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#208
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Molly was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
4,652 babies were named Molly in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Molly compares
176,127 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
Molly's all-time total is 461x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Molly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 176,127 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,652 | 48 | 19,840 |
Molly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Molly's full recorded timeline at 1953, 91% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 9% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 18 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 4,652 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Molly at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1991
Current rank
#208
Active since
1880
Molly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 4,652
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Molly popularity over time - boys
360 total births recorded since 1972 (Molly as boys' name)
Molly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Molly's strongest decade.
36,567 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Molly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 306
1880s
306 births
- 1890s 454
1890s
454 births
- 1900s 803
1900s
803 births
- 1910s 2,447
1910s
2,447 births
- 1920s 2,797
1920s
2,797 births
- 1930s 3,119
1930s
3,119 births
- 1940s 4,161
1940s
4,161 births
- 1950s 6,458
1950s
6,458 births
- 1960s 9,364
1960s
9,364 births
- 1970s
1970s
15,715 births
- 1980s
1980s
25,891 births
- 1990s
1990s
36,567 births
- 2000s
2000s
33,271 births
- 2010s
2010s
25,553 births
- 2020s 9,221
2020s
9,221 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 36,567 births (21% of all-time use).
How Molly 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 Molly's total volume
Molly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Molly by state
Where Molly concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,253 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 11,017 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 10,799 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 9,340 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Texas | | 9,276 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 9,073 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 7,043 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 6,750 | 3.8% |
California share of Molly's total US births 7.0%
Even split
12,253 of 176,127 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Molly appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Molly? ▼
176,127 babies have been named Molly since 1880. It currently ranks #208 among girls. The peak year was 1991 with 4,652 births.
When was Molly most popular? ▼
Molly was most popular in the 1990s decade with 36,567 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Molly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Molly are California (12,253 births), Ohio (11,017 births), New York (10,799 births).
How long has the name Molly been used? ▼
Molly has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Molly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mollie, Molli, Mollee, Mollye, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Molly's data
- Molly's decade-level peak was the 1990s (36,567 total births); usage has since declined to 9,221 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Mollys (12,253 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 Molly
Nearby Names Like Molly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Molly
Mollie Girl
#1202 48,164 births
Molli Girl
#7328 1,989 births
Mollee Girl
#13754 765 births
Mollye Girl
388 births
Molley Girl
231 births
Compare Molly side by side: Molly vs Mollie Molly vs Molli Molly vs Mollee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Molly
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. "Molly: #208 Girls' Name - 176,127 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/molly. 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 Molly 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.