Polly

Polly developed as a rhyming alteration of Molly, one of the traditional familiar forms of Mary. The older Mary and Miriam name family has several proposed etymologies, with no single meaning accepted as certain. Polly’s history therefore lies in the affectionate reshaping of an established name rather than in a separate word meaning bitter.

English literature and nursery tradition give Polly a particularly recognizable presence. Tom Sawyer’s Aunt Polly and the familiar kettle nursery rhyme are two examples, while Polly Peachum appears in The Beggar’s Opera. These associations make the short form feel complete even when it is not used for a longer Mary. A family may choose Polly to honor that name indirectly or simply for its own longstanding literary and everyday history.