Sally first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Sally has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Sally

A feminine name of uncertain origin, perhaps derived from the Hebrew name Sarah.

Popularity of Sally by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Sally is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Sally being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 170 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Sally.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 170
2022 0 174
2021 0 192
2020 0 200
2019 0 161
2018 0 195
2017 0 245
2016 0 211
2015 0 222
2014 0 209
2013 0 218
2012 0 208
2011 0 212
2010 0 214
2009 0 227
2008 0 227
2007 0 253
2006 0 243
2005 0 244
2004 0 265
2003 0 226
2002 0 263
2001 0 300
2000 0 332
1999 0 327
1998 0 328
1997 0 337
1996 0 365
1995 0 390
1994 0 398
1993 0 445
1992 5 496
1991 6 530
1990 6 549
1989 0 536
1988 0 543
1987 5 528
1986 0 592
1985 0 567
1984 0 615
1983 0 660
1982 0 633
1981 5 713
1980 6 739
1979 0 735
1978 0 779
1977 0 789
1976 7 899
1975 7 949
1974 7 957

The history of the first name Sally

The given name Sally is derived from the Hebrew name Sarah, which means "princess" or "noblewoman." The name Sarah is first mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, referring to the wife of the patriarch Abraham.

The name Sarah was later transliterated into Greek as Sara, and into Latin as Sarai or Sara. Over time, the name evolved through various vernacular forms in different languages, such as the French Sallie, the German Salle, and the English Sally.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sally dates back to the 13th century in England. It was a common pet form or diminutive of Sarah, used as a nickname or shortened version of the name.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Sally. One of the earliest was Sally Prideaux (1610-1692), an English Puritan writer and religious thinker. Another prominent figure was Sally Fairfax (1647-1719), an American colonist and the wife of William Fairfax, a prominent landowner in Virginia.

In the 18th century, Sally Lunn (c. 1676-1776) was a famous English baker known for creating the famous Sally Lunn bun, a type of bread roll. Another notable Sally from this period was Sally Wister (1737-1804), an American diarist and socialite whose journals provided valuable insights into colonial life in Philadelphia.

In the 19th century, Sally Ride (1951-2012) became the first American woman in space when she served as a crew member on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983. Another famous Sally was Sally Field (born 1946), an American actress known for her roles in films such as Norma Rae and Places in the Heart, for which she won Academy Awards.

Other notable Sallys throughout history include Sally Hemings (1773-1835), an enslaved woman who had a long-term relationship with Thomas Jefferson; Sally Ride (1951-2012), the first American woman in space; and Sally Rooney (born 1991), an Irish novelist and author of the acclaimed novels Conversations with Friends and Normal People.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Sally was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sally, please contact us.

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"Sally first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 8, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/sally-meaning-and-history/.

"Sally first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/sally-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 8 November, 2024

Sally first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/sally-meaning-and-history/.

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