Holly
Say it: HOL-ee
GirlMeans holly tree5 letters2 syllables
#69
in Ireland (2025)
77
babies in 2025
#11
best rank (2010)
6,123
babies since 1976
Down 41
10-year rank change
Holly through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77 | #69 |
| 2024 | 115 | #39 |
| 2023 | 120 | #43 |
| 2022 | 129 | #43 |
| 2021 | 160 | #32 |
| 2020 | 156 | #29 |
| 2019 | 213 | #21 |
| 2018 | 196 | #23 |
| 2017 | 195 | #27 |
| 2016 | 239 | #23 |
| 2015 | 208 | #28 |
| 2014 | 266 | #21 |
| 2013 | 245 | #24 |
| 2012 | 312 | #19 |
| 2011 | 297 | #23 |
| 2010 | 380 | #11 |
| 2009 | 326 | #21 |
| 2008 | 264 | #26 |
| 2007 | 224 | #32 |
| 2006 | 203 | #33 |
| 2005 | 228 | #29 |
| 2004 | 253 | #25 |
| 2003 | 213 | #28 |
| 2002 | 171 | #35 |
| 2001 | 107 | #49 |
| 2000 | 84 | #53 |
| 1999 | 101 | #46 |
| 1998 | 51 | #75 |
| 1997 | 83 | #65 |
| 1996 | 79 | #67 |
| 1995 | 74 | #74 |
| 1994 | 62 | #94 |
| 1993 | 55 | #105 |
| 1992 | 40 | #135 |
| 1991 | 25 | #176 |
| 1990 | 36 | #139 |
| 1989 | 24 | #186 |
| 1988 | 26 | #177 |
| 1987 | 20 | #218 |
| 1986 | 24 | #193 |
| 1985 | 16 | #242 |
| 1984 | 7 | #365 |
| 1983 | 7 | #365 |
| 1981 | 3 | #533 |
| 1979 | 4 | #467 |
| 1976 | 5 | #392 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Holly mean?
Holly tree
English, from the evergreen holly tree.
Say it right
HOLee
The story of Holly
Holly comes from the evergreen tree with glossy, prickly leaves and red berries, long tied to Christmas. As a girls’ name it was given a push by Holly Golightly, the heroine of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, played by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film.
There is an Irish thread too. As a surname, Holly can be an English rendering of Mac Cuilinn, from cuileann, the Irish word for holly.
In the CSO records the name reached the list in 1976 and climbed through the 1990s and 2000s. Its best year came in 2010 with 380 babies, when it was number 11. It has been less prominent in Northern Ireland, where its best was 22nd in 2003.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Holly (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Holly (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Holly | 77 | 6,123 |
In Northern Ireland
#87 in 2025 with 24 babies. Best rank #22 (2003); 1,919 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.