Attention of cheerfulyank/American posters!

[vinobaroness]

My dh may be relocating to the states(new york)with work after our dd's arrival. We are pretty decided on Molly just wondering how that is percieved over the water? Is it commonly used or would it have any negative connotations?

I think it's fairly popular.

There aren't "negative associations" AFAIK -- popularity might be a negative for you, and might not. There is, of course, the ever-present MN debate whether to use shortened forms vs long forms of names, but that would be the same on either side of the pond.

Thanks for the reply,no popularity not a problem, we both love the name. Here in UK I dont think it has any negative traits that I know of?? However I know in the US cutesy names can be sterotyped & i dont want yo get dd off to a bad start!!!

I live in US and know a young Molly among Amercan friends. Actually her mum is yank an dad is Brit, they chose it as it works for both families

Thanks kissangel, good to know it suited both, i guess its quite universal as easy to spell, pronounce. Any other opinions?

Disclaimer: I'm not American.

But according to US baby name web sites, Molly was the 78th most popular name in 2011.

Nameberry.com says of Molly:
^Molly has been used as a stand-alone pet form of Mary since the Middle Ages, and has been consistently popular as an independent name in the US over the past several decades, still in the Top 100, and in the Top 40 in most of the English-speaking world.

Likeable and down-to-earth, mild yet saucy, Molly has a distinctly Irish feel as well, with such Gaelic associations as Sweet Molly Malone and the martyred reformers known as the Molly Maguires. In the Jewish culture, Molly Goldberg was an early television personality.

Other references include the Revolutionary War heroine Molly Pitcher and the Molly Bloom character in James Joyce's Ulysses, as well as characters in novels by Fielding, Hardy, George Eliot, Dickens and Thackeray. More recently, Good Golly, Miss Molly was a Little Richard hit and Molly Ringwald a celebrity bearer.

Amanda Peet is the mother of a Molly, as are Monica Potter and Veronica Webb.^

Makes me think of Molly Ringwald (and all those fantastic 80's films she was in that I loved as a teen.) Positive connotation.

Gwen thanks for posting!! 78th so its fairly common but not like a Sophial/Emily/ Ava which I believe are v popular stateside!!! Laura im a fan of Molly Ringwald too- so all positive about Molly so far,seems to be a bit of a marmite name on here!

Well there's Molly Ringwald and there's also an American Girl doll named Molly, which my dd LOVES :) It's a good name as long as the abbreviation of all names isn't wonky ;)

Molly is a great name! Popular in the US but not top-ten. I personally love it. No negative associations I can think of (I'm American).

Our daughter is Mollie and and our American friends and family love it. Only issue is that it seems to be pronounced differently (Maah-lee as opposed to the English Mol-lee) and I've had serveral Yank friends give me an odd look until they realised what the name was. They thought I was saying Moley!

Thanks for the replies girls, StrawbRhi giggling re Moley!! Any other opinions?