Total births
29,684
Girls' name · since 1880
Polly
Polly has 29,684 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1964 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2179
- among girls today
- 29,684
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other girls
29,684 babies have been named Polly since 1880, making it today's #2179 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Polly recorded 29,684 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #2179 nationally today, ahead of 88% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2179 among girls today
- 29,684 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 88% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Polly is currently the #2179 girls' name in America, more common than 88% of girls - 29,684 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2179
- among girls today
- 29,684
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other girls
Polly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2179
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 88% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Polly was born in this single decade.
1964
Single peak year
688 babies were named Polly in 1964 - its busiest year on record.
How Polly compares
29,684 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Polly's all-time total is 78x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Polly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,684 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 688 | 48 | 19,840 |
Polly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Polly splits its recorded history at 1953: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2002 (20 births) -- compare that against the 1964 peak of 688 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Polly at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1964
Current rank
#2,179
Active since
1880
Polly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1964)
- 688
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Polly popularity over time - boys
24 total births recorded since 1918 (Polly as boys' name)
Polly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Polly's strongest decade.
5,068 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Polly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 476
1880s
476 births
- 1890s 661
1890s
661 births
- 1900s 753
1900s
753 births
- 1910s 1,919
1910s
1,919 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,324 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,864 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,301 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,068 births
- 1960s
1960s
5,030 births
- 1970s 1,967
1970s
1,967 births
- 1980s 689
1980s
689 births
- 1990s 425
1990s
425 births
- 2000s 322
2000s
322 births
- 2010s 468
2010s
468 births
- 2020s 417
2020s
417 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 5,068 births (17% of all-time use).
How Polly 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 Polly's total volume
Polly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Polly by state
Where Polly concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 1,659 | 5.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,656 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 1,453 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 1,336 | 4.5% |
| #5 | California | | 1,264 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 1,191 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 1,051 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 964 | 3.2% |
North Carolina share of Polly's total US births 5.6%
Even split
1,659 of 29,684 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Polly appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Polly? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 29,684 babies named Polly. Today it holds rank #2179 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1964, with 688 births.
When was Polly most popular? ▼
Polly was most popular in the 1950s decade with 5,068 total births. The single peak year was 1964.
Where is Polly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Polly are North Carolina (1,659 births), Texas (1,656 births), Ohio (1,453 births).
How long has the name Polly been used? ▼
Polly has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Polly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Polina, Pollie, Pollyanna, Pola, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Polly's data
- Polly's decade-level peak was the 1950s (5,068 total births); usage has since declined to 417 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Pollys (1,659 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Polly
Nearby Names Like Polly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Polly
Polina Girl
#3305 1,334 births
Pollie Girl
1,265 births
Pollyanna Girl
#8005 1,129 births
Pola Girl
682 births
Pollyann Girl
166 births
Compare Polly side by side: Polly vs Polina Polly vs Pollie Polly vs Pollyanna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Polly
Iva #2178
38,397 births · Peak 1918
Therese #2180
35,590 births · Peak 1959
Zhamira #2177
382 births · Peak 2025
Wesley #2181
3,256 births · Peak 2021
Khelani #2176
843 births · Peak 2021
Violett #2182
1,012 births · Peak 2025
Aavya #2175
944 births · Peak 2025
Athalia #2183
1,001 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. "Polly: #2179 Girls' Name - 29,684 Births, Peak 1964." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/polly. 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 Polly 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.