Girl nameCurrently #28 in the USSteady
Penelope
puh-NEL-uh-pee//pəˈnɛləpi//
4 syllablesPeak year: 20198 lettersStarts with P
Meaning & origin
Weaver
Penelope is best known from Greek mythology as the faithful wife of Odysseus, who famously wove and unwove a burial shroud to delay suitors while awaiting her husband's return; the name's roots may connect to weaving or to a Greek word for a type of duck. Long a literary favorite, it has become a fashionable choice again in the 2010s and 2020s for its vintage charm.
Penelope's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Penelope |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 5 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1888 | 8 |
| 1889 | 8 |
| 1890 | 5 |
| 1891 | 9 |
| 1893 | 6 |
| 1895 | 5 |
| 1896 | 6 |
| 1898 | 5 |
| 1900 | 6 |
| 1902 | 5 |
| 1906 | 5 |
| 1907 | 5 |
| 1909 | 8 |
| 1910 | 8 |
| 1911 | 7 |
| 1912 | 11 |
| 1913 | 13 |
| 1914 | 16 |
| 1915 | 31 |
| 1916 | 37 |
| 1917 | 32 |
| 1918 | 44 |
| 1919 | 49 |
| 1920 | 54 |
| 1921 | 45 |
| 1922 | 61 |
| 1923 | 58 |
| 1924 | 65 |
| 1925 | 66 |
| 1926 | 64 |
| 1927 | 57 |
| 1928 | 49 |
| 1929 | 43 |
| 1930 | 44 |
| 1931 | 37 |
| 1932 | 45 |
| 1933 | 40 |
| 1934 | 43 |
| 1935 | 69 |
| 1936 | 102 |
| 1937 | 173 |
| 1938 | 188 |
| 1939 | 368 |
| 1940 | 439 |
| 1941 | 546 |
| 1942 | 670 |
| 1943 | 643 |
| 1944 | 678 |
| 1945 | 509 |
| 1946 | 641 |
| 1947 | 796 |
| 1948 | 782 |
| 1949 | 679 |
| 1950 | 646 |
| 1951 | 568 |
| 1952 | 529 |
| 1953 | 537 |
| 1954 | 482 |
| 1955 | 419 |
| 1956 | 380 |
| 1957 | 422 |
| 1958 | 387 |
| 1959 | 388 |
| 1960 | 316 |
| 1961 | 310 |
| 1962 | 286 |
| 1963 | 322 |
| 1964 | 266 |
| 1965 | 265 |
| 1966 | 223 |
| 1967 | 255 |
| 1968 | 282 |
| 1969 | 345 |
| 1970 | 315 |
| 1971 | 205 |
| 1972 | 219 |
| 1973 | 222 |
| 1974 | 184 |
| 1975 | 160 |
| 1976 | 121 |
| 1977 | 119 |
| 1978 | 108 |
| 1979 | 101 |
| 1980 | 83 |
| 1981 | 78 |
| 1982 | 62 |
| 1983 | 67 |
| 1984 | 59 |
| 1985 | 56 |
| 1986 | 54 |
| 1987 | 63 |
| 1988 | 47 |
| 1989 | 42 |
| 1990 | 59 |
| 1991 | 61 |
| 1992 | 63 |
| 1993 | 54 |
| 1994 | 65 |
| 1995 | 94 |
| 1996 | 80 |
| 1997 | 99 |
| 1998 | 117 |
| 1999 | 102 |
| 2000 | 131 |
| 2001 | 235 |
| 2002 | 346 |
| 2003 | 367 |
| 2004 | 424 |
| 2005 | 513 |
| 2006 | 649 |
| 2007 | 796 |
| 2008 | 919 |
| 2009 | 1,297 |
| 2010 | 1,547 |
| 2011 | 1,871 |
| 2012 | 2,536 |
| 2013 | 4,292 |
| 2014 | 5,089 |
| 2015 | 5,957 |
| 2016 | 6,406 |
| 2017 | 6,673 |
| 2018 | 6,530 |
| 2019 | 6,733 |
| 2020 | 6,154 |
| 2021 | 6,374 |
| 2022 | 6,429 |
| 2023 | 6,065 |
| 2024 | 5,747 |
Penelope through the decades
- Penelope peaked in 2019, when 6,733 babies were named Penelope in the US.
- The 2020s were Penelope's strongest decade, averaging 6,154 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Penelope has risen 223% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Penelope currently ranks #28 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
PennyNell
Variants & spellings
Penelopa
Famous people named Penelope
- Penélope Cruz — actress