Polly
Feminine name of Greek origin meaning "a bountiful one".
Name Census estimates that about 14,272 living Americans carry the first name Polly. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Polly today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Polly births was 1964 (688 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Polly. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
14K
~ 1 in 24,016 Americans
Peak year
1964
688 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
1931 SSA rank
#2,206
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Polly
Out of the 29,624 babies given the name Polly since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Polly as a male name
- Ranked #3,667 in 1931
- 6 male births in 1931
- Peak: 1924 (8 births)
Polly as a female name
- Ranked #2,206 in 2024
- 86 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1964 (688 births)
Popularity
Polly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Polly from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 5,068 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Polly by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Polly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pollys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 46 states and territories. North Carolina, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Polly, while Vermont, Alaska, South Dakota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 497 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Polly
The name Polly is a diminutive form of the female given name Mary. It has its origins in the Late Latin name Maria, which was derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. Miryam is believed to have meant "beloved" or "wished-for child" in ancient Hebrew. The name Mary gained widespread popularity through its association with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ in Christian tradition.
Polly emerged as a nickname for Mary in the 16th century. It was a common practice at the time to create diminutive forms of names, often with the addition of the "-y" or "-ie" suffix. Polly became a popular nickname, particularly in English-speaking countries, as a shortened and more informal version of the name Mary.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Polly can be found in the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "The Winter's Tale," written around 1611, a character named Polixenes is referred to as "Polly" in a shortened form. This suggests that the nickname was already in use during Shakespeare's time.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Polly. One example is Polly Peabody (1764-1827), an American businesswoman who played a significant role in establishing the textile industry in New England. Another is Polly Platt (1939-2011), an American film producer and production designer known for her work on films such as "Broadcast News" and "Say Anything."
Polly Adler (1900-1962) was a famous American author and former brothel-keeper in New York City during the early 20th century. Her memoir, "A House is Not a Home," published in 1953, provided a candid account of her life in the underground world of prostitution.
In the realm of literature, Polly Honeycombe is a character in Henry Fielding's novel "The Voyage of the Dementia," published in 1749. She is known for her wit and charm, serving as a foil to the novel's protagonist.
Polly Bergen (1930-2014) was an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur who had a successful career spanning over six decades. She was known for her roles in films such as "Cape Fear" and the television series "The Sopranos."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Polly. While its origins lie in the Hebrew name Miryam and its connection to the Virgin Mary, Polly has become a beloved and enduring nickname in its own right.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Polly
People
Polly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Polly as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Polly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Polly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14,272 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Polly going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 24,016 US residents.
Is Polly a common name?
We classify Polly as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29,624 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Polly most popular?
The single biggest year for Polly was 1964, when 688 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Polly is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Polly a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Polly in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.