Polly

Meaning of Polly

Polly, pronounced PAH-lee, first twirled into the world as a rhyming pet-name for Mary—Molly became Polly the way jalebi batter becomes a golden spiral, sweet and unexpectedly delightful. Over the centuries she’s picked up a suitcase of sunny associations: the sing-song nursery rhyme “Polly, put the kettle on,” the ever-chatty parrot perched on many an Indian veranda, the pocket-sized doll who ruled 90s toyboxes, even the unfailingly optimistic heroine of “Pollyanna.” In family lore she’s the cousin who arrives early, jingling bangles and carrying mango barfi, filling the room with stories before anyone’s poured chai. Though her peak fame fluttered through American cradles in the mid-20th century, Polly still slips onto today’s birth charts (ranked a jaunty #864 in 2024), proving that a classic nickname with a bright, bird-like trill never really flies away. For parents chasing a name that feels both vintage and vivacious—part English cottage, part Indian monsoon rainbow—Polly offers a pocketful of sunshine.