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Mollie Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Mollie

Pronunciation: MAH-lee

Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#1,116
TREND
90
Peak Years
1915, 1918, 1917
Lowest Years
1962, 1966, 1963
Energy Archetype
Hardworking & Dutiful

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Mollie in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Mollie

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Mollie appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 9 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1889 through 1889.
  • More than 48 thousand babies named Mollie: U.S. records list 48,208 babies given the name Mollie from 1880 through 2025. Even 46 boys received the name Mollie - about 1 boy for every 1,047 girls.

What Does the Name Mollie Mean?

Mollie is an English form of Molly, a pet name for Mary. Mary descends from the Hebrew name Miryam, and the meaning of that older name is not settled. The explanation most often repeated is "bitter," from the Hebrew root mar. Other proposals include an Egyptian origin meaning "beloved," a Hebrew root meaning "rebellious," and an Aramaic understanding of "wished-for child." These are competing proposals about a very old name, and none has won general agreement.

The familiar Christian gloss "star of the sea," from the Latin Stella Maris, is a later devotional reading of the Latin form Maria. It is a symbolic interpretation rather than a literal translation, and it does not come from the Hebrew. As a form of Mary, Mollie carries whatever meaning belongs to the parent name; it has no separate etymology of its own.

Mollie Name History & Origins

Molly arose in England as a nickname for Mary. The change from Mary to Molly belongs to a group of English pet-name alterations in which r shifts to l, as with Sarah and Sally or Dorothy and Dolly. The shorter form Moll was in use by the 17th century; Mary Frith, a London pickpocket and stage performer, was popularly known as Moll Cutpurse. Daniel Defoe later used the form for the heroine of Moll Flanders in 1722.

In the 18th century Molly served in England both as an everyday nickname for Mary and as a general term for a woman or a servant. It also took on other slang senses in that period, including a term for an effeminate man and, in "molly house," a meeting place. In the 19th century the name was attached to the Molly Maguires, a secret society among Irish and later Irish-American coal miners, traditionally said to be named after an Irish woman who resisted landlords.

Mollie is one of several spellings of the same name; the -ie ending matches the common English spelling of pet names in that style. It is used as a given name in English-speaking countries, especially Ireland and the United States, where Mary was long one of the most common names given to girls.

How Popular is the Name Mollie?

Mollie recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1915. Mollie ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1880 through 1887, then returned in 1889 and remained through 1889.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Mollie

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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Past Favorite Girl Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Mollie Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Mollie's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mollie's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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