Dolly
Girl name · 10 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Dolly: 10 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 7 births in 2024.
Dolly began as a charming nickname for Dorothy, the English form of Greek Dorothea, meaning "gift of God." The name's most famous bearer is undoubtedly Dolly Parton, the iconic American singer-songwriter and philanthropist whose music and business acumen made her a global legend. It was also the name of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell in 1996, a scientific breakthrough that captured worldwide attention. While Dolly has no direct place connections, its roots are surprisingly rural: the pet form became popular in 18th-century Scotland as a simple, affectionate choice, and it enjoyed a revival in the 20th century as a standalone given name rather than just a diminutive, particularly in the 1970s when nostalgia for vintage names rose.
Girl 2 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 20247 babies
- Latest (2024)
- #4317 babies
- Total births
- 10since 2023
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y