What Does the Name Molly Mean?

Molly is a girl's name of English (from Hebrew via Mary) origin meaning “Pet form of Mary; 'beloved' / 'bitter'.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Molly
Gender	female
Origin	English (from Hebrew via Mary)
Meaning	Pet form of Mary; 'beloved' / 'bitter'
Variants	Mollie, Mally, Mol
Popularity	Very popular in Ireland and the UK; in the US it peaked in the late 1990s and now sits in the mid-to-upper range of the top 1000.

The meaning and origin of Molly

The name Molly means “Pet form of Mary; 'beloved' / 'bitter'” and has English (from Hebrew via Mary) origins. Originally a medieval English diminutive of Mary (via Malle and Molle), Molly has long been used as an independent given name. It carries the broader meanings attributed to Mary, ultimately from Hebrew Miriam.

Variants and related names

Molly is related to several other names you may recognize: Mollie, Mally, Mol. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Molly?

Very popular in Ireland and the UK; in the US it peaked in the late 1990s and now sits in the mid-to-upper range of the top 1000.

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