Poppy
Meaning of Poppy
Poppy is a modern English given name lifted straight from the scarlet field flower, the word itself tracing back through Middle English popie to Latin papaver. The plant’s folklore is double-edged: its seeds yielded both soporific medicine and symbolic consolation, which is why red poppies became an Anglo-Commonwealth emblem of remembrance after World War I. Victorians, fond of botanical code, read the bloom as a token of restful peace, and their fashion for “flower names” seeded Poppy’s first appearance on American birth registers in the 1920s. Usage then idled for decades before reviving sharply at the turn of the 21st century; U.S. data show a twenty-fold increase between 2000 and 2024, with the name recently hovering in the low 300s. Poppy therefore occupies an interesting niche—less solemn than Rosemary, less whimsical than Daisy—balancing crisp consonants with bright imagery. Parents who choose it often cite its brisk, two-syllable snap and its quiet tribute to reflection as equal parts appeal.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as PAH-pee (/ˈpɑpi/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Poppy
| Poppy, born Moriah Rose Pereira, is an American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber who rose to fame with uncanny satirical performance art videos and is known for bold, experimental music. |
| Poppy Delevingne is an English socialite, actress, and model. |
| Poppy Harlow is an American journalist known for anchoring CNN This Morning and earlier work at Forbes, and she left CNN in 2024. |
| Poppy Olivia Pattinson is an English left-back for London City Lionesses, previously with Sunderland, Manchester City, Bristol City, Everton and Brighton and Hove Albion, and a former England youth international from under-17 to under-23. |
| Poppy Gabriella Drayton is a British actress known for playing Elizabeth Thatcher in the Hallmark pilot of When Calls the Heart, Amberle Elessedil in The Shannara Chronicles, Abigael Jameson Caine in Charmed, and Myroslava in the film The Rising Hawk. |
| Poppy Cybele King is an Australian entrepreneur best known for Poppy Industries and the 1990s cosmetics sold at Poppy Stores in Australia. |
| Poppy Elizabeth Jamie is a British entrepreneur and former TV presenter based in London who co-founded Pop and Suki and the wellbeing app Happy Not Perfect. |
| Poppy Starr Olsen is an Australian professional skateboarder known for her regular footed stance. |
