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Holly

Holly is a girl's name of Irish and Celtic origin meaning “wood, clearing, meadow.” In 2024 it was given to 739 girls in the United States.

Holly at a glance

Gender
Girl name
Origin
Irish & Celtic · English & American
Meaning
“wood, clearing, meadow”

About the name Holly

Holly belongs to the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. Its meaning — “wood, clearing, meadow” — is the sense carried by its Irish and Celtic roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Holly first appears in Social Security records in 1893. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #48 in 1979, and in 2024 739 babies received the name — 204,548 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Holly in US records

First recorded (US)
1893
Best US rank
#48 in 1979
Peak year
1983
Babies named Holly in 2024
739
Total since 1880
204,548

Similar names

More names from the Irish & Celtic shelf:

JenniferIrish and CelticBrendaIrish and CelticCarolynIrish and CelticMeganIrish and CelticBrittanyIrish and CelticAnnieIrish and CelticBonnieIrish and CelticErinIrish and Celtic

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Holly mean?

Holly means “wood, clearing, meadow” in its Irish and Celtic roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Holly a boy or girl name?

Holly is a girl name. In 2024, 739 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Holly?

Holly comes from the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition.

How popular is the name Holly?

Holly first appears in US records in 1893. Its best-ever ranking was #48 in 1979, and 739 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.