Holly Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Holly

The feminine name Holly refers to the Holly Tree with red berries and is derived from “holen,” an Old English word. It may also be from the French word “houx,” meaning ‘shrub.’ The houx is an evergreen tree with red berries and prickly leaves. The Irish also used it as a translation of the name Mac Cuilinn, which derives from cuileann, the Gaelic name of the holly tree.

Holly is also a toponymic surname originating from the industrious people of the county of Flanders. It was given to people residing near areas with hills, streams, churches, or certain types of trees. Another meaning associated with the name is “dwelling by the hollow.” The name Holly is often given to baby girls born in December, as customarily, the holly tree’s distinctive leaves and red berries are used in Christmas decorations.

The ancient Celts began the tradition of decorating homes with Holly, believing the bright decorations would bring them good luck. The name Holly first appeared as a feminine name in the 20th century. In the US it was first used in the 1930s and is believed to have been popularized by Holly Golightly, a character in the novel Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. It was later adapted into a movie in 1961. Thus Holley became more popular in the US in the latter part of the 1900s.

The name Holly has several variations, including Hollie, Holli, Hollee, Holleigh, Hollis, Hollyann, and Holley. Hol, Holls, Holl, Holly Bear, and Holly Berry are some nicknames associated with the name Holly. Masculine variants of the name Holly include Hollis in English, Holic in Czech, and Holleb in Polish.

There are several references to the name in the fictional world. For example, Holly Flax is the HR representative and a character in The Office. Other characters by the name are Holly Holliday, the substitute teacher from Glee, and Holly Robinson, a supporting character of Catwoman in DC Comics .

Holly

Meaning Shrub

Gender Unisex

Religion Christianity

Origin English, French

Lucky Number 9

Syllables Two

Length 1 word, 5 letters, 1 vowel, 4 consonants

Type Short and easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Holly?

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Holly in English.

Famous People With The Name Holly

Holley FainAmerican actress, famous as Dr. Julia Canner from Grey’s Anatomy, and Maureen van der Bilt from Gossip Girl
Holly RothAmerican crime writer in the genres of detective fiction and spy fiction, with twelve novels and many short stories to her name, along with an Edgar Award nomination
Holly Marie CombsAmerican actress and producer famously known as Kimberly Brock from Picket Fences , Piper Halliwell from Charmed, and Ella Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars and a recipient of the Best Young Actress in a New Television Series (1993)

Holly On MomJunction Popularity Chart

Know how popular the name Holly is among the MomJunction readers. We used a unique approach to gather relevant insights for creating this popularity chart by observing the interactions and interest around the name on our platform. See what the trend has been among our readers over these past years.

Names With Similar Sound As Holly

Holly is a name with a pleasant sound. If you want to explore more names with a similar ring, have a look at the list below.

Popular Sibling Names For Holly

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Holly, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Holly

Find matching brother names for Holly and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Holly

Looking for some suitable sister names for Holly? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With H

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter H to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Names With Similar Meaning As Holly

Listed below are a variety of delightful names that share a similar essence as Holly.

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Popular Songs On The Name Holly

Song	Artist
Holly	Anna Shoemaker
Holly Jolly Christmas	Michael Bublé

Holly’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name holly. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Karka (Cancer)
Starting letters for Karka (Cancer) rashi	DD, H
Representation	Crab
Element	Water
Ruling body	Moon
Quality	Movable

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Karka (Cancer) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Punarvasu (Punartham, Punarpoosam)	Cancer (0 to 3.20 degrees)	Jupiter	Ke, Kay, Ko, Ha, Hi, Hee
Pushya (Pooyam, Pushyami)	Cancer (3.20 to 16.40 degrees)	Saturn	Hu, He, Ho, Da
Aslesha (Aayilyam)	Cancer (16.40 to 30 degrees)	Mercury	Di, Du, De, Do, Dee, Me, Da

Infographic: Know The Name Holly‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Holly In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Holly in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Holly, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Holly	English	en
冬青	Chinese	zh-CN
होली	Hindi	hi
Holly	Spanish	es
Holly	French	fr
هولي	Arabic	ar
হলি	Bengali	bn
Holly	Portuguese	pt
Холли	Russian	ru
ہولی	Urdu	ur
Holly	Indonesian	id
Holly	German	de
ヒイラギ	Japanese	ja
होली	Marathi	mr
హోలీ	Telugu	te
Holly	Turkish	tr
ஹோலி	Tamil	ta
Holly	Vietnamese	vi
Holly	Tagalog	tl
홀리	Korean	ko
Holly	Hausa	ha
Holly	Swahili	sw
Holly	Javanese	jv
Holly	Italian	it
ਹੋਲੀ	Punjabi	pa
હોલી	Gujarati	gu
ฮอลลี่	Thai	th
ಹಾಲಿ	Kannada	kn
ሆሊ	Amharic	am
होली	Bhojpuri	bho
Holly	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Holly In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

holly

In Sign Language

holly

In Braille Alphabet

holly

In Morse Code

holly

Name Numerology For Holly

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Holly, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Holly

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Holly and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Holly

Discover the presence of Holly in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
Holly	Девственность Холли, Холли	2023
The Holly		2022
Holly Slept Over	Entre amigos, Holly bekavar, Im Bett mit Holly, Nocka u Holly, Qué pasa cuando eres adulto, Um Fim De Semana Com Holly, Холли остается ночевать, 荷莉過夜日記	2020
Holly Day		2018
Holly Near: Singing For Our Lives	Holly Near: Singing for Our Lives	2018
Holly Star	Blago za Božić, Ein Schatz zu Weihnachten, Tesouros de Família, Un Trésor pour Noël	2018
Holly Does Hollywood 4		1991
Holly Does Hollywood Again	Holly Does Hollywood 2, Holly rumbo a Hollywood de nuevo	1987

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Holly?

The name Holly means ‘Holly tree with red berries.’

2. What is the origin of the name Holly?

Holly has an English and French origin.

3. Is Holly a popular name?

According to the SSA popularity data, the name Holly rose seven ranks higher to 459 in 2022 from rank 466 in 2021. The name has been within the top 500 names in the US, which means Holly is a popular name in the US (1).

4. What is a nickname for Holly?

Parents may choose any nickname for their child based on their personal preferences. If you are looking for a nickname for Holly, you can consider Holz, Holls, Hollyberry, Hollypop, Hollykins, Hollybear, and Hollsicle.

5. Is Holly an old name?

Holly may have been around for centuries as a word referring to the Holly tree with red and black fruits and as a toponymic surname for people inhabiting areas of hills, streams, and specific trees. However, as a girl’s name, it is believed to have been used since the 20th century.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Names that increased in popularity from 2021 to 2022;
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/popularity_increase.html

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