Holly

Holly calls to mind red berries against dark green leaves, a December doorway, a song half-remembered. The name comes straight from the Old English holen, the evergreen that has signaled winter festivals since before Christmas borrowed it. Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's gave the name its midcentury sparkle; Holly Hunter gave it wry intelligence. Peaking in the 1970s and 80s, it has stepped back to the 400s, still cheerful but no longer everywhere. The name is short, bright, a little bit plucky, with that double L that trips lightly off the tongue. Seasonal in origin, but never confined to one month.