English word origin

Etymology of Molly

From Moll, diminutive lambdacism of Mary + -y.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

name

A diminutive of Mary or, less often, Margaret. · A female given name from Hebrew.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Moll, diminutive lambdacism of Mary + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Moll",
      "Moll#English"
    ],
    [
      "lambdacism",
      "lambdacism"
    ],
    [
      "Mary",
      "Mary#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "word": "Mallaidh",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "lang_code": "gd",
      "word": "Màili",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "word": "Molly",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of Mary or, less often, Margaret.",
        "A female given name from Hebrew."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "2f0aef7cac21ca3b20ae7408ea41ad442cfd2bacd162e35df0b839be6bdeddc7",
      "rawRecordSha256": "98ec4dd4f756404e0957e0d3ccafeaf1bbb32b45b3d49b47b551e3276b3cdee6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 329966
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative letter-case form of molly: the crystalline or powdered form of MDMA. · A Molly Maguire.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Moll, diminutive lambdacism of Mary + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Moll",
      "Moll#English"
    ],
    [
      "lambdacism",
      "lambdacism"
    ],
    [
      "Mary",
      "Mary#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative letter-case form of molly: the crystalline or powdered form of MDMA.",
        "A Molly Maguire."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "alt-of",
        "slang",
        "uncountable",
        "countable",
        "historical"
      ],
      "recordId": "5e078885e89064a8ec508e9452a2b28b50d305216983a78bfa8d745838303ff4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "fcd87bb92f8409aef7b69503207f822c7b75c6b3fc67280eef5940857cb2b97b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 329967
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Molly →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-TW9sbHk