The Baby Name Wizard

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Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Molly!

Comments and insights on the name Molly: | Edit

Who wouldn't love someone with the name of Molly? You like her before you even meet her.

I think this name sounds better suited for a dog or a doll than for a grown woman.

I thought that as well until I had a daughter and we named her Molly. She's now a high school softball pitcher and the name suits her very well.

I found this name on a list of top 20 "whitest" names for girls.

Personal experiences with the name Molly: | Edit

I named my daughter Molly, and I'd say that William Gibson’s Molly plus Molly Ivins were important influences in making the name seem more smart, tough, sophisticated and adult. The name needs a nudge in this direction, IMO, because it otherwise risks being too cute, friendly, and naive-sounding. I paired it with a big, imposing middle name with family significance: she's Molly Mehitabel or occasionally Molly-bel.

I love names like Ruby, Hazel and Olive, and had always expected to use them for my kids. But these names had become stereotypical hipster baby names by the time I had my daughter, which pushed me toward the more "normal" old fashioned name of Molly.

I named my daughter Molly. Someone called her "Molly-Boo" once when she was a baby and seven years later we still call her Molly-Boo.

Nicknames for Molly: | Edit

Molls, Moll, Moo (Molly Moo)
TaMolly (Tamale)

Molliwog
My daughter's nickname is Balls but she's a softball pitcher. Lovely.

Meanings and history of the name Molly: | Edit

Traditionally Molly was a nickname for a girl named Mary, much like Jack was a nickname for a boy named John, to differentiate the many Mary's one family may have.

Famous real-life people named Molly: | Edit

Molly Ringwald, actress
Molly Ivins, writer
Molly Elliot Seawell (1860-1916), American writer
(The Unsinkable) Molly Brown
Molly Sims, model

Molly in song, story & screen: | Edit

"Molly Malone," Irish folk song

"Molly" is one of the American Girls line of historical stories and dolls for girls

1980s dramedy, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd

"Miss Molly," song by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys

"Molly" by the band Sponge

Moll Flanders (18c. novel)

Good Golly Miss Molly!

Molly Gibson, a character in Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters
Molly Millions, a tough assassin in William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer. (For those not familiar, this book is genuinely a big deal and major cultural influence -- not just among sci fi geeks.) Wikipedia describes her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Millions

Molly Weasley, a character in the "Harry Potter" series of novels

In the Beatles' song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," the main characters that they sing of are named Desmond and MOLLY.

"Molly's Lips" The Vaselines and covered by Nirvana

"Gone Crazy" Marcy Playground --- song about a girl named Molly

Name of the doll in children's TV show "The Big Comfy Couch"

Molly McIntire - one of the American Girl dolls.