Holly

It’s fine to say the least.
7/10.

Etymologically, the plant name Holly comes from ‘protector’, and Holly can also mean ‘clearing, meadow’ or ‘holy’! I think it’s a lovely strong name, uncomplicated and uncompromised—every Holly I know in real life are always unabashedly themselves and have a lot of internal strength, that’s always what this name sounds like to me :)

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Hollie, Holli, and Holley are other variants. I personally like
Hollie and Holly the best, but to each their own.

Wendy sneered at the mere mention of "Holly," a name that grated on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard. To her, it wasn't just tacky; it was downright repulsive. She saw it as a name fit for a character in a low-budget soap opera or a second-rate reality TV show, utterly lacking in sophistication or class. Every syllable of the name left a bitter taste in her mouth, reminding her of all the times she felt overshadowed by her cousin's flashy persona. Wendy couldn't help but roll her eyes whenever Holly strutted into the room, her presence an embodiment of everything she despised about the name. In Wendy's eyes, "Holly" wasn't just a name – it was an insult to good taste and refinement, a constant reminder of everything she was not and never wanted to be.

Holly found herself perpetually vexed by the constant misinterpretation of her name. Initially, it was charming, evoking images of lush greenery and festive cheer. However, as she navigated through life, she discovered the bitter truth behind her seemingly innocuous moniker. People often presumed her to be as delicate as the plant, overlooking her strength and resilience. The festive association only exacerbated her frustration, as she was expected to embody perpetual merriment, disregarding the complexities of her emotions. Holly couldn't escape the suffocating stereotypes her name imposed upon her, leaving her longing for an identity that truly reflected her essence.

Absolutely horrid name. Why woukd you call anyone this. I personally get second hand embarrrassment when I hear this name.

Holly is a very cute name.

Very cheerful!

This is one of the nicest names that I've ever heard. I used to only associate it with Christmastime, having a special (Christmas-themed) teddy bear (who had the berries on leaves wrapped around her ear!) that I named Holly. However, I would use it on a daughter born year-round; it's such an amazing, cute, and underused name! If you like Holly, I say to totally go for it!

Holly is cheerful, romantic and lovely.

Holly is, like, seriously pretty! The way the fricative consonant "h" rolls off the tongue is simply delightful, and when coupled with its Christmas-y connotations and sweet-as-can-be rhyme with "jolly," it's just, like, totally dreamy!

Corny name.

My given name is Holly and I’ve always loved my name.

Very pretty! Love the banner!

A lovely bouncy name that's happy and utterly feminine!

My name is Holly and my middle name is Rae. I am 53. I still don't meet many other Holly's and I love it. It's a unique name. And it's fun and bubbly, like my personality.

I must admit that I have been surprised by the amount of positive comments regarding this name. Honestly, seeing as it is a name that is used less and less, I thought it was because people found it dull and boring, but now I see that I was wrong.

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As for my opinion, the truth is that I am not as fascinated by the name Holly as many of you. It is not a bad name, it has charm, but personally I do not like short names and that end in "-ie / y" because they give me the feeling that they are incomplete and that it only seems a nickname instead of a full name (like Christy, Mandy, Gigi, Jessie...). Also, I love girly names but without sounding childish and, sorry, but Holly gives me just that vibe. I must also add that while Holly is not as common a name as it used to be, it is still a name that you hear often and, as a person who likes little known names, I am not convinced either. So sorry, but Holly is not for me.

My daughter, who was born this October, is named Holly and her middle name is Marie.

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It's such a pretty name and she shares the same name with star Holly Willoughby!

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Her triplet brothers are named Dylan and Tobi and I think they go so well together.

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Holly might be a popular name but I've only met one other Holly when I was growing up.

Such a pretty name! It's cute and spunky but also mature and timeless. It's a cute name to give a baby girl who is born on or around Christmas.

Idk why but this is my favorite girl's name, it ages so well and it's cool. It has sass and spunk, and is also sort of gentle. When I was younger I liked Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, and I love Holly Kujo from Jojo’s bizarre adventure.

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I think Holly Belle would make the cutest combo!

Such a cute happy elegant name!

Oooooh this name is cute!

This is my mom’s name and I really like it. But just a fair warning to those of you who are thinking about naming your daughters Holly, my mom did get teased for her name, especially around Christmas time. They would say stuff like “deck the halls in Holly’s balls, fah lalalalalalala” and other stuff like that. That’s the only reason I think my mom doesn’t like her name because she got teased for it.

I love this name so much! Sweet, smart, intelligent, cute, shy-sounding, amazing name! Does have a hint of holiday cheer! Not childish, and it ages well. One of my faves!

A little childish, but love the banner!

Sweet, elegant name! Would not say I really like it, but it's alright, not bad. Holly is alright!

Not gonna lie, this name is adorable and lovely!

Adorable name.

My name is Molly, and I love the name Holly too. Both remind me of a Holly jolly Christmas.

It sounds like a Christmas name and it's pretty.

Really like this name, can’t fault it at all. And I’m not bothered by the Holly plant being prickly with poisonous berries. After all, that doesn’t stop us having a positive association with the plant and Christmas, does it?

I love this name. I like that it’s a 90’s name that doesn’t feel like that, it doesn’t feel dated. It’s truly a timeless name that you can picture on a little girl and on a grown woman. And another plus is that it’s not wildly popular right now.

My full name is Hollyhock but some people call me Holly :) I love having double flower aliases.

This name is adorable, especially for a little girl born in the winter months. This name reminds me of “Holly Hobby”, which is a fictional character that is quite retro.

Cute name, a bit boring. But seriously people "spelt holleigh sounds better"?

A very happy, special, pretty name!

Hollycopter is not a good nickname. Do not get it on your senior jersey.

No offense, just not a fan of any of the Holly/Molly kind of names.

Looks rather plain, but the spellings Hollie and Holleigh fix that right up!

Holly is a lovely name. I'm surprised it has declined in popularity, but I suppose that's a good thing because that makes it less common.

I love the name Holly, it's so beautiful. To me, it's a proper 90's girl name that's starting to pick up again along with Jade And Ashleigh. Would be in my top names but my partner's daughter is called Molly and I don't really like Holly And Molly ): but if it wasn't for that, I'd use it.

Holly is a gorgeous and light sounding name. As cliche as it sounds, you want to name your child to represent their growth. Like a Holly, I imagine a child growing like a tree and becoming a vital and beautiful aspect to their community. It also has a great meaning of protection and warding away negativity. It's a soft and sweet name that can age, doesn't have a nickname, strong meaning in different cultures and it's common enough that people know it without it being strange. What more can a person ask for?

Holly sounds joyful and fun.

I named my daughter Holly in 1975 when the 'Hollie Hobbie' character was popular. I did her bedroom in all Hollie Hobbie linens including the canopy for her bed. It was very cute.

My aunt named my cousin Holly because she was born on Christmas. I love her name. Very cute.

This is a better sounding name than Molly and Holly sounds cute at all ages. Can be professional and appropriate but is still relaxed and delicate.

Like Susan below, I named my daughter Holly in the U.S. in 2005. It was rather popular for a while here in the 1970's but is no longer very popular, without being considered so unusual as to be weird. I liked this; there are many classic names I really like that are very trendy and common at the moment which I tried to avoid. I also researched on a site like this one, and noted that adult women named Holly said they had always liked their names, which is not the case for some others.

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She just turned 13 and she has always loved her name. As others note, I feel it is a very pretty and feminine name, suitable from childhood through maturity. It feels cheerful and upbeat, and it's great to get the cards that play Burl Ives singing Holly Jolly Christmas each year. We went with the simplest spelling because life is complicated enough without having to correct people constantly. As Sue mentioned, I also did not realize that Holly has remained in the top 30 girls' names in the UK all these years and was surprised to learn this recently.

This name is so pretty! Omg love it!

This name is suitable for a young child to an adult woman! Really like it!

I named my daughter Holly in 2003. I live in the U.S. and it is uncommon there without being weird or strange (I checked the Social Security website for name frequencies). My name is Susan, and there were dozens of Susans when I was growing up, so I really wanted to pick something less common for my daughter. (I've just learned that Holly is much more popular in the British Isles, so I guess it's good that she wasn't born there.) Holly sounds upbeat and friendly to me. I also like the name Holly because it works well both as a child and as an adult (not too childish, not to weighty and mature). My daughter has been called various nicknames over the years: Holly-Bug, Holly Jolly, and Holly Pop being the primary ones. Her dad sings her the "Lolly Pop" song (with Holly substituted in for Lolly) all the time; it's become her theme song and sometimes ring-tone! She is now 14, and she has always loved the name, which is nice — no one wants to give their kid a name they hate, after all. Finally, no, she wasn't born in December, although she is often asked; her birthday is in April. Anyway, I hope this helps anyone considering the name.

I would probably use this name for a dog or cat.

I would never ever name my child this, but I do like the name because it's my grandma's name, so whenever I see it, I think of her!

I love the name, it reminds me of Christmas. And my best friend!

This name brings to mind Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's who was apparently an escort.

This is a cute name that I would love to use for a future daughter, hehe! ^^

I named my girl cat Holly after the computer on Red Dwarf. She came to me called Bella but wouldn't answer to it, like she didn't know that's what people called her. She responds to Holly and when I sing 'Holly-cat' to the tune of 'Lollypop' she is very happy.
Holly is a very good name.

I LOVE this name!

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I live in the UK and I've known a few Hollys, one of which is my closest friend. I never had an opinion on this name before I met her, but now I adore it! It's got a very cute, short sound, and sounds very friendly, I think.

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Would seriously consider using this name for a December baby girl!

I really love this name. It sounds feminine to the tongue, but the Holly plant is also poisonous so I think that squashes any image of a girl named Holly being a frilly pansy.

The name Holly reminds me of someone who can be a bit spiteful and prickly, like Holly leaves, but still has that nice christmassy feel, and is quite safe and simple.

I've always liked the name Holly, it's quite simple and reminds me of Christmas scenery, although some people see it as a bit cheap and common.

I like the name Holly. It is not too overused but not unusual either and is also more mature-sounding than Lolly, Polly or Dolly. My best friend has the name (though she spells it "Holley").

This is my name, and I really have come to hate it because it's become so common. I know far too many Holly's, and, being someone who loves different names, it's really quite annoying. If you were to name a child of yours Holly, I wouldn't. The child would become confused (much like me) as to which Holly their friends are shouting at in the street (and it often isn't them).

My name is Hollie, and I don't really like it. I much prefer the spelling Holly, for the facts that it is the common spelling and people always spell my name wrong, and simply that I like the spelling "Holly" better. I love to see the other comments (I read through most of them) about how Holly/Hollie is a wonderful name. There were a few negative comments, and it may seem strange, but this site actually made me think about the name "Holly". Apparently my mother called me Hollie (with that spelling) because she already knew another lady with a child called Holly, so she wanted to be different. I hate the spelling Hollie because everyone spells it wrong. Everyone just assumes that that's how it is and that's how it's spelt. I was born in May, and people don't mock my name or make fun and sing songs (which I appreciate) but my family called me "Hollie Pops" when I was younger (weird right?) and now my sister and mum call me "Holy".

It does have its own sort of charm, but it's so common and it sounds too much like a nickname. I don't understand why everybody loves it so much; it's kind of plain.

I like this name but would rather spell it "Holleigh".

This is my name, and I absolutely love it.
I have only met 4 or 5 other Holly's in my life.
I love that it's uncommon without being over the top odd.

Apparently, this name was popular in the 70s--however, growing up I met only one adult woman with the name Holly. Even then, I thought it was a pretty name. Now, a little girl at my church is named Holly, and I think it's such a great name. (And I like that it's not as common as, say, Emily or Sarah, of which I know way too many.) I would like to see a couple more Hollys running around.

Pretty :) too common for me though.

This and Luna are my favorite girls names! I think Holly trees are very beautiful.

Not really sure why, but I've always liked this name. Reminds me of Christmas. :)

This is a pretty name, not too girly when you're old, and not too mature for when you're little. This is the kind of name that no matter what the season its cheerful and beautiful. And not overly used at that. Oh, but wouldn't it be a pain to name quadruplet girls Dolly, Holly, Molly and Polly? That would be both confusing and a tongue-twister. :)

I'm a Holli, which causes MASSIVE hassle, people always spell it wih a y or ie. Holly seems to be becoming a lot more popular at the moment, which is good and bad. Good because it's a lovely name, bad because I've always liked it for being unusual.
I don't agree with saying Holly should be a totally December birth name (I'm a March), however I do think that variations of the spelling are always good to have if you are more spring/summer, so at least people don't immediately think of a plant.
I was told by someone today that it was the kind of name you would expect from the heroine in a romance novel, which was unexpected and rather nice. But she was rather old so it was a very unusual name for her, lol.

I love this name, it's the name of my favourite author, and I think it's overall a charming and sweet name. It can also be the name of a punk. ;)

Holly is my name. I haven't always been overly fond of it, but it's grown on me because it isn't so common as names like Jessica or Ashley which are a dime a dozen. My mom had a thing for Christmas names (like mine & Noelle), even though I was born in June.
Yes, I do get all the jokes with the Christmas songs & I do have people sometimes call me "Miss Golightly" - this I find to be a bonus because I love Audrey Hepburn - so getting compared to a character she played is pretty cool.

Even though it corresponds, with some Christmas carols this is my favourite girl name for some reason. I think it is very kind, and charming. Not to mention the first name of my fav author, Holly Black.

I'm not crazy about this name, but unlike Dolly and Polly, this name is actually mature. It's not the prettiest name out there, but it's not ugly either.

I like Hollie best.

Love this name. We went with "Hollyn" for one of our twin girls. Only problem, everyone thinks it's "Holland". She's two now so a little late to change things. Chances are she will end up going by Holly just to avoid the question, "So, are you from Holland?"

Pretty name. Too bad it's so overused. But with names as Molly, Poppy, Daisy, Dolly and sickening stuff like that, I'm glad Holly stands still. Thank goodness.

Holly reminds me of an old, pretty Christmas song "Holly and Ivy".

I love this name, it's so sweet, reminds me of Christmas.

My name is Hollie and I prefer this to Holly because it doesn't remind you of the bush as much and even thought they are almost the same name I don't like Holly hardly at all.

I like this name because Holiday/Holly Golightly is one of my favorite characters.

My name is Holly, and I really don't like it sometimes because when winter time comes around, people start singing 'Deck the Halls' and 'Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.' Plus, as a kid, people would call me Hollywood or say, 'Good golly Miss Holly!' as a joke.

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But there are times when I DO like it because I haven't met any other Hollys, so it feels kind of original.

I like the spelling Holli best.

This is my cousin's name, and when she was younger, she used to go around saying "Have a holly jolly Christmas!" I think this name is really nice. When she was even younger, a lot of people called her "Holly Dolly". By the way, she was born in June.

In Australia it's quite a common name yet not, if you know what I mean. It's very pretty. :)

Kind, sweet and lovable.

Holly is a very nice name, but should only be used for girls that are born in December. Same with May, June, and April.

I hate this name. Don't know why. It sounds rough, in my opinion.

I have a cat named Holly. She was already a year old when I got her, so she came with the name. I never used to like the name Holly, but I fell in love with it after that. This is a very sweet-sounding name, and I hope it never becomes too overused (or underused).

My middle name is Holly. I think it is a wonderful name. I also know a few other people called holly. It is not overly used but it's not like it's a really abnormal name. It's beautiful!

I love my name! Yes, I get the Holly Jolly Christmas, or Holly GoLightly or Holly by Golly, but overall it's great - semi-rare but yet not wierd. My birthday is in July and my mom always says I was her Christmas in July.

Holly is a supurb name ... heehe.
And I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I was born in December! Arg! (I was born in March) I think it's a cute name though and not many people have it so I like that. I've always wished my name was spelt Hollie, I like it so much better.

Holly is my name. I love it because I almost never meet anyone else with my name. But most of all I love it because my father gave me that name. I was born in January and I always hated Deck the Halls and Holly Jolly Christmas!

This is my name and I LOVE it. I used to think the name sucked because people were always going around singing deck the halls thinking they were the first ones to come up with it. FYI you're NOT! Then I wished it had been spelled a different way. But now that I'm older I'm loving it since I have only met two other people in my life with the same name.

This is my name and I really like it although a lot of people do seem to start saying things like "so how is it at Hollywood?" I would also like to say that like people say most people named Holly are I was born in December. December 21 actually.

This is my name, and I really like it. I do wish it had a better meaning though. People always sing Have a Holly Jolly Christmas to me like they are the first ones to ever come up with it, when I have been hearing it all of my life. It's kind of funny. But I love my name and I wouldn't change it. :)

Holly is the best name in the world, except I don't like it! Anyone want to swap?

This is my name! I use to hate it because people would always sing 'deck the halls' around me, but I love it now.

I like this name. I want to change my name into it. Amanda Bynes playes the character Holly Tyler in "What I Like About You".