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Molly

Heart
Diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"

Molly Origin and Meaning

The name Molly is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "bitter".

Molly is one of the original nickname names, ALWAYS ranking among the US Top 500 girl names since statistics began, in 1880. Molly peaked in 1991 only to rise just as high again in 2011, and though softening retains a good measure of popularity and charm.

What is Molly short for? Molly originated as a diminutive of Mary, spawning from medieval variations Malle and Molle. Molly has been used as a stand-alone pet form of Mary since the Middle Ages, and has been consistently popular as an independent name in the U.S. over the past several decades.

Likable and down-to-earth, mild yet saucy, Molly has a distinctly Irish feel as well, with such Gaelic associations as 'Sweet Molly Malone' and the martyred reformers known as the Molly Maguires. In the Jewish culture, Molly Goldberg was an early television personality.

Other references include the Revolutionary War heroine Molly Pitcher and the Molly Bloom character in James Joyce's Ulysses, as well as characters in novels by Fielding, Hardy, George Eliot, Dickens and Thackeray. More recently, "Good Golly, Miss Molly" was a Little Richard hit and Molly Ringwald a celebrity bearer.

Amanda Peet is the mother of a Molly, as are Monica Potter and Veronica Webb.

# 199 in the US

Molly Rank in US Top 1000

# 115 on Nameberry

Molly Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Molly Popularity

20 Names Similar to Molly

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Famous People Named Molly

  • Molly Kathleen RingwaldAmerican actress
  • Molly Caitlyn QuinnAmerican actress
  • Molly Helen ShannonAmerican actress and comedienne
  • Molly SimsAmerican actress and model
  • Margaret "Molly" Brown ("The Unsinkable")American Titanic survivor
  • Molly Pitcherheroine in the American Revolution
  • Molly Joan HaganAmerican actress
  • Molly Neumanmusician of American band Bratmobile
  • Molly WilliamsAmerica's first female firefighter
  • Molly Hollyring name of Nora Kristina Greenwald, American pro wrestler
  • Molly ParkerCanadian actress
  • Mary Tyler "Molly" IvinsAmerican newspaper columnist
  • Molly Alice SmittenDownes, English singer,songwriter
  • Molly Kathleen BurnettAmerican actress
  • Molly HuntAmerican singer,songwriter known as Svrcina
  • Molly Arieldaughter of actress Cybill Shepherd; twin of Cyrus Zachariah
  • Molly Gallagherdaughter of British musician Liam Gallagher
  • Molly June Benioff (b. 2010)Daughter of actors Amanda Peet and David Benioff
  • Molly Sullivan Manno (b. 2016)daughter of American television personality, correspondent, host, spokesperson and blogger Ali Fedotowsky and American television and radio host Kevin Manno
  • Molly Burkeblind YouTube vlogger

Molly in Pop Culture

  • Molly is also said to mean 'bitterly wanted' or 'miracle'
  • Molly MaloneIrish folk heroine
  • Mollysodainternet personality and artist
  • Molly Jean McIntirecharacter in the American Girl series
  • Molly Weasleycharacter in the Harry Potter series
  • Molly Hoopercharacter on TV's "Sherlock"
  • Molly Dobbscharacter on British soap "Coronation Street"
  • Molly FlynnBiggs, main character on TV's "Mike & Molly"
  • Molly Moonbook series by Georgia Byng
  • Molly Morgana main character on TV's "The Torkelsons"
  • Molly Phillipsmain character on TV's "So Weird"
  • Molly O'Briencharacter on TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
  • Molly Walkercharacter on TV's "Heroes"
  • Mollycharacter in musical "Annie"
  • Molly Finchcharacter in the game "What Remains of Edith Finch"
  • Molly Gunnmain character in the movie "Uptown Girls"
  • Molly Jonescharacter in the Beatles song "Ob,La,Di, Ob,La,Da"
  • Molly LansingDavis, character on soap "General Hospital"
  • Molly Goldbergmain character on TV, radio, and movie "The Goldbergs"
  • Molly McKaymain character in 1999 movie "Molly"
  • Molly Parkercharacter on TV's "The Facts of Life"
  • Molly the Dollycharacter on TV's "The Big Comfy Couch"
  • Molly Bakercharacter in anime 'Sailor Moon'
  • Molly Zanecharacter in the series 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate
  • Marion "Molly" Bloomcharacter in James Joyce's "Ulysses"
  • Molly Fitzgerald aka Shamrockcharacter in Marvel Comics
  • Eva "Molly" Weicharacter in anime "Ōban Star,Racers"
  • MillyMolly,Mandy, character in children's books by Joyce Lankester Brisley
  • Molly Millionscharacter in novels by William Gibson
  • Molly Frenchcharacter in "The Sims 3" computer game
  • Molly Davissister in Pixar's Toy Story series
  • Molly Garfunklecharacter on TV's "How To Rock"
  • Molly Singerdaughter in the movie Corrina, Corrina
  • Molly Victoria Sherwoodcharacter on TV's Army Wives
  • MollyScarlett Johansson's character in the movie "Chef"
  • Molly Dawes a.k.a. Iona Paynecharacter on TV's Forever
  • Molly Hayes/Hernandezcharacter in Marvel's Runaway comics
  • Molly HatchetAmerican Southern rock band
  • Flogging MollyAmerican punk rock band
  • "Good GollyMiss Molly," song by Little Richard
  • "Anna Molly"a song by Incubus
  • The Molly MaguiresIrish secret society
  • Mollyslang for pure MDMA, main ingredient in the drug Ecstasy
  • "Molly's Lips"song by Nirvana and The Vaselines
  • "Molly's Chambers"song by Kings of Leon
  • Molly Chalmerscharacter in Lois Lowry's "A Summer to Die"
  • Molly is a magical herb that protects from witchcraft in Homer's Odyssey
  • Molly Gruecharacter in "The Last Unicorn"
  • Mollygiant trance worm, owned by Cleveland Booker in the 32nd Century, Molly the trance worm was
  • first scene in the Star Trek: Discovery episode "That Hope is YouPart 1"
  • Molly Cunninghamcharacter in the Disney animated series "TaleSpin"