Hollis
Top 1000
About Hollis
Hollis is a rugged, gentle and quietly used name, given to over 200 boys and 150 girls each year in the US. In 2023, it became one of the newest entries to the US Top 1000, where it fits in with the surnames-as-first-names trend, and other familiar choices like Ellis, Silas, and Holden.
Derived from the English surname meaning "near the holly bushes", it has a number of notable connections. Hollis Thompson is a professional basketball player; Hollis Watkins is a Civil Rights activist in Mississippi; Pete Hollis was a community folk hero; and "The Ballad of Hollis Brown" is a popular Bob Dylan song.
Combining woodsy sounds and outdoorsy vibes with a surname-y and smart style, Hollis feels sleek and preppy, but adventurous and spirited too.
Pronounced HAH-lis.
As of October 2026, Hollis ranked #894 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #292 in 1908, Nameberry popularity #279.
Editor's take: The name Hollis is a boy's name of English origin meaning "near the holly bushes".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,368 | 125 | 65.1 |
| 2015 | #1,102 | 176 | 91.8 |
| 2016 | #1,414 | 124 | 65.3 |
| 2017 | #1,065 | 186 | 100.5 |
| 2018 | #1,256 | 147 | 80.9 |
| 2019 | #1,095 | 182 | 101.4 |
| 2020 | #1,019 | 204 | 118.2 |
| 2021 | #1,068 | 200 | 114.3 |
| 2022 | #1,042 | 212 | 121.4 |
| 2023 | #1,000 | 220 | 128.6 |
| 2024 | #1,053 | 208 | 120.7 |
| 2025 | #894 | 266 | 155.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Hollis.
- Adler
- Rhodes
- Alby
- Penn
- Linden
- Ames
- Oaklan
- Thatcher
- Winslow
- Finnick
- Ferris
- Rafferty
- Calloway
- Shepherd
- Calder
- Leighland
- Rafe
- Lyle
- Juno
- Wylie
Hollis on lists
Famous Holliss
- Hollis Thompson
American basketball player
Hollis in pop culture
- Hollis College
university on "Pretty Little Liars"
- Hollis
from TV series "Mad About You"
- Hollis Doyle
elevator operator from "Mad Men”
- Hollis Wilson
from the book The Passage by Justin Cronin.
- Hollis "Holly" Wood
character from the from 1941
- Hollis West
character in novel "Along for the Ride"