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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Polly

Polly

♀ Girl

Pronounced PAHL-ee /ˈpΙ‘l.i/Medium

Meaning: Sea of bitternessMedium

In 30 seconds: Polly is an English girl's name that grew out of Mary, traditionally glossed as 'sea of bitterness'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningSea of bitterness
U.S. rank (2024)#2206 β†— Rising
2024 U.S. births86 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1964
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 29,600

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 196418802024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Polly developed as a pet form of Mary, by way of Molly, with the M shifting to P in the playful rhyming way that produced many English nicknames. The meaning it inherits, 'sea of bitterness', comes from the Hebrew roots behind Mary. Over time Polly became a standalone name in its own right.

Its family ties show clearly in the variations Molly, Mollie, Marie, and Mariam, all branches of the same Mary tree. Bearers include the Emmy-winning American actress Polly Bergen and the silent-era comedian Polly Moran.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Polly is 'sea of bitterness', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Polly β€” etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration β€” 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MollieMollyPollieMarieMariam

Nicknames

β€”

Famous Bearers

  • β˜…Polly Bergen (1930-2014)
    American actress, singer and Emmy winner for 'The Helen Morgan Story'.
  • β˜…Polly Moran (1883-1952)
    American actress and comedian of the silent and early sound film eras.

If you like Polly…

Mollyβ€” The closely related Mary pet form that Polly rhymed off of.
Marieβ€” A listed variation rooted in the same Mary source.
Mariamβ€” An older form of Mary feeding the same name family as Polly.
Sallyβ€” a fellow English choice
Wrenlyβ€” a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Polly

By themeenglish
By meaningSea / Water

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Polly mean?

Polly is usually explained as meaning 'sea of bitterness' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Polly?

It's commonly said PAHL-ee /ˈpΙ‘l.i/.

Is Polly a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Polly is used as a girl name.

How popular is Polly?

In 2024, Polly ranked #2206 in the U.S. for girls, with 86 births recorded.

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