Hazel vs Molly
Hazel and Mollycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Hazel was ranked #10 and Molly #69 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Hazel was ranked #55 and Molly #20 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2021, Hazel was ranked #27 and Molly #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Hazel was ranked #169 and Molly #28 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Hazel was ranked #97 and Molly #68 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hazel was ranked #75 and Molly #104 among girls in England and Wales.
Hazel and Molly over time
Hazel and Molly appear together in 4 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Molly held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Hazel in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Molly reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Hazel in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Hazel moved into the top 50 at #41 in 2013 as Molly fell out of it to #59, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Hazel moved ahead of Molly in England and Wales · Girls — #90 and #88 the year before became #75 and #104.
- Longest-running competitions
Hazel and Molly were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 36 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #55 and #20.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1989–2025
Hazel held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Molly in 28.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #44 in 2024, Molly #18 in 2019.
The order changed in 1998: Molly moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #78 and #80; by 1998 that had become #124 and #87.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hazel #55, Molly #20.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hazel held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Molly in 28.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #75 in 2024, Molly #15 in 2001.
The order changed in 2024: Hazel moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #90 and #88; by 2024 that had become #75 and #104.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hazel #75, Molly #104.
New Zealand · Girls13 shared years, 2008–2023
Hazel held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Molly in 5.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #10 in 2023, Molly #33 in 2009.
The order changed in 2013: Hazel moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #53 and #40; by 2013 that had become #41 and #59.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Hazel #10, Molly #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2008–2024
Hazel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Molly in 9.
Highest recorded here: Hazel #169 in 2024, Molly #21 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hazel #169, Molly #28.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Hazel | Molly |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From the English word for the hazel tree, or the light brown colour associated with it, ultimately from Old English 'hæsel'. Created as a given name in the 19th century. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (nature name) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈheɪ.zəl/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #8 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #20 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hazel has a recorded origin (English (nature name)); Molly does not have one recorded yet.
- Hazel and Molly both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hazel; Molly doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Hazel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Molly
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #408 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2001 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #217 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls