Penelope
#22 for girls in 2025, 6,225 births · Last seen for boys in 2024 at #10,938
Given to girls >99.9% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 2022 · 6,430 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 13 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 109,480since 1880
Penelope over time
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #22 | 6,225 | — | |
| 2024 | #28 | 5,760 | #10,938 | 6 |
| 2023 | #23 | 6,068 | — | |
| 2022 | #21 | 6,430 | #12,330 | 5 |
| 2021 | #23 | 6,370 | #7,587 | 10 |
| 2020 | #26 | 6,152 | #12,022 | 5 |
| 2019 | #22 | 6,734 | — | |
| 2018 | #26 | 6,524 | #9,670 | 7 |
| 2017 | #24 | 6,668 | #10,775 | 6 |
| 2016 | #27 | 6,400 | #8,146 | 9 |
| 2015 | #34 | 5,953 | #12,086 | 5 |
| 2014 | #43 | 5,089 | — | |
| 2013 | #56 | 4,292 | — | |
| 2012 | #125 | 2,536 | — | |
| 2011 | #168 | 1,871 | — | |
| 2010 | #200 | 1,547 | — | |
| 2009 | #253 | 1,297 | — | |
| 2008 | #359 | 919 | — | |
| 2007 | #409 | 796 | — | |
| 2006 | #482 | 649 | — | |
| 2005 | #558 | 513 | — | |
| 2004 | #646 | 424 | — | |
| 2003 | #712 | 367 | — | |
| 2002 | #716 | 346 | — | |
| 2001 | #940 | 235 | — | |
| 2000 | #1,412 | 131 | — | |
| 1999 | #1,636 | 102 | — | |
| 1998 | #1,458 | 117 | — | |
| 1997 | #1,595 | 100 | — | |
| 1996 | #1,826 | 80 | — | |
| 1995 | #1,598 | 94 | — | |
| 1994 | #2,102 | 65 | — | |
| 1993 | #2,351 | 54 | — | |
| 1992 | #2,128 | 63 | — | |
| 1991 | #2,163 | 61 | — | |
| 1990 | #2,174 | 59 | — | |
| 1989 | #2,658 | 42 | — | |
| 1988 | #2,330 | 47 | — | |
| 1987 | #1,838 | 63 | — | |
| 1986 | #2,003 | 54 | — | |
| 1985 | #1,975 | 55 | — | |
| 1984 | #1,837 | 58 | — | |
| 1983 | #1,644 | 67 | — | |
| 1982 | #1,769 | 62 | — | |
| 1981 | #1,528 | 78 | — | |
| 1980 | #1,460 | 83 | — | |
| 1979 | #1,270 | 100 | — | |
| 1978 | #1,169 | 108 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,088 | 119 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,032 | 120 | — | |
| 1975 | #842 | 159 | — | |
| 1974 | #759 | 184 | — | |
| 1973 | #675 | 221 | — | |
| 1972 | #676 | 219 | — | |
| 1971 | #733 | 205 | — | |
| 1970 | #571 | 315 | — | |
| 1969 | #531 | 345 | — | |
| 1968 | #569 | 282 | — | |
| 1967 | #596 | 255 | — | |
| 1966 | #641 | 223 | — | |
| 1965 | #584 | 266 | — | |
| 1964 | #614 | 266 | — | |
| 1963 | #540 | 322 | — | |
| 1962 | #584 | 286 | — | |
| 1961 | #567 | 310 | — | |
| 1960 | #547 | 316 | — | |
| 1959 | #495 | 388 | — | |
| 1958 | #484 | 387 | — | |
| 1957 | #460 | 422 | — | |
| 1956 | #479 | 380 | — | |
| 1955 | #435 | 419 | — | |
| 1954 | #395 | 482 | — | |
| 1953 | #366 | 537 | — | |
| 1952 | #360 | 529 | — | |
| 1951 | #332 | 568 | — | |
| 1950 | #305 | 646 | — | |
| 1949 | #297 | 679 | — | |
| 1948 | #275 | 782 | — | |
| 1947 | #271 | 796 | — | |
| 1946 | #289 | 641 | — | |
| 1945 | #304 | 509 | — | |
| 1944 | #265 | 678 | — | |
| 1943 | #275 | 643 | — | |
| 1942 | #267 | 670 | — | |
| 1941 | #273 | 546 | — | |
| 1940 | #300 | 439 | — | |
| 1939 | #325 | 368 | — | |
| 1938 | #486 | 188 | — | |
| 1937 | #501 | 173 | — | |
| 1936 | #652 | 102 | — | |
| 1935 | #823 | 69 | — | |
| 1934 | #1,062 | 43 | — | |
| 1933 | #1,102 | 40 | — | |
| 1932 | #1,056 | 45 | — | |
| 1931 | #1,175 | 37 | — | |
| 1930 | #1,117 | 44 | — | |
| 1929 | #1,119 | 43 | — | |
| 1928 | #1,069 | 49 | — | |
| 1927 | #1,010 | 57 | — | |
| 1926 | #931 | 64 | — | |
| 1925 | #913 | 66 | — | |
| 1924 | #941 | 65 | — | |
| 1923 | #976 | 58 | — | |
| 1922 | #949 | 61 | — | |
| 1921 | #1,136 | 45 | — | |
| 1920 | #1,005 | 54 | — | |
| 1919 | #1,026 | 49 | — | |
| 1918 | #1,102 | 44 | — | |
| 1917 | #1,281 | 32 | — | |
| 1916 | #1,167 | 37 | — | |
| 1915 | #1,258 | 31 | — | |
| 1914 | #1,665 | 16 | — | |
| 1913 | #1,670 | 13 | — | |
| 1912 | #1,719 | 11 | — | |
| 1911 | #1,956 | 7 | — | |
| 1910 | #1,773 | 8 | — | |
| 1909 | #1,607 | 8 | — | |
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | #2,061 | 5 | — | |
| 1906 | #1,951 | 5 | — | |
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | #1,793 | 5 | — | |
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | #1,723 | 6 | — | |
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | #1,700 | 5 | — | |
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | #1,416 | 6 | — | |
| 1895 | #1,592 | 5 | — | |
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | #1,277 | 6 | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | #943 | 9 | — | |
| 1890 | #1,338 | 5 | — | |
| 1889 | #950 | 8 | — | |
| 1888 | #959 | 8 | — | |
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | #897 | 7 | — | |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | #817 | 6 | — | |
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | #836 | 5 | — | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Penelope was already there! It came in at #836, and was given to 5 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1882, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.
Where Penelope is popular in 2020
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Rhode Island#11 · 1 in 90
- Oregon#14 · 1 in 125
- Arizona#18 · 1 in 160
- Colorado#18 · 1 in 172
- Minnesota#18 · 1 in 176
Best ever in a state: #5 in Alaska, 2025.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | #11 | 29 | 1 in 90 |
| Oregon | #14 | 105 | 1 in 125 |
| Arizona | #18 | 173 | 1 in 160 |
| California | #18 | 972 | 1 in 179 |
| Colorado | #18 | 125 | 1 in 172 |
| Minnesota | #18 | 123 | 1 in 176 |
| Washington | #20 | 161 | 1 in 181 |
| Texas | #22 | 660 | 1 in 232 |
| Maine | #23 | 26 | 1 in 123 |
| Indiana | #24 | 145 | 1 in 193 |
| Missouri | #24 | 116 | 1 in 211 |
| Nevada | #24 | 60 | 1 in 162 |
| District of Columbia | #25 | 21 | 1 in 139 |
| Florida | #26 | 362 | 1 in 222 |
| New Jersey | #26 | 174 | 1 in 200 |
| North Dakota | #27 | 21 | 1 in 133 |
| Ohio | #27 | 223 | 1 in 215 |
| Alaska | #28 | 14 | 1 in 137 |
| Illinois | #28 | 223 | 1 in 219 |
| New York | #28 | 357 | 1 in 223 |
| Pennsylvania | #29 | 223 | 1 in 217 |
| New Hampshire | #30 | 26 | 1 in 133 |
| Connecticut | #31 | 66 | 1 in 170 |
| Massachusetts | #31 | 121 | 1 in 197 |
| Michigan | #32 | 173 | 1 in 219 |
| Maryland | #33 | 93 | 1 in 240 |
| Oklahoma | #34 | 65 | 1 in 227 |
| Virginia | #34 | 146 | 1 in 234 |
| Delaware | #35 | 15 | 1 in 156 |
| Utah | #36 | 78 | 1 in 207 |
| Kansas | #37 | 55 | 1 in 208 |
| Iowa | #38 | 54 | 1 in 213 |
| New Mexico | #38 | 27 | 1 in 191 |
| North Carolina | #39 | 166 | 1 in 263 |
| Nebraska | #40 | 36 | 1 in 197 |
| South Carolina | #40 | 71 | 1 in 244 |
| Idaho | #43 | 29 | 1 in 211 |
| Montana | #44 | 14 | 1 in 177 |
| Tennessee | #45 | 108 | 1 in 281 |
| Arkansas | #47 | 41 | 1 in 252 |
| Wisconsin | #47 | 84 | 1 in 247 |
| Vermont | #53 | 7 | 1 in 141 |
| West Virginia | #55 | 25 | 1 in 218 |
| Kentucky | #60 | 55 | 1 in 307 |
| Georgia | #61 | 123 | 1 in 362 |
| Louisiana | #62 | 56 | 1 in 330 |
| Alabama | #64 | 59 | 1 in 317 |
| Hawaii | #79 | 10 | 1 in 248 |
| Mississippi | #87 | 26 | 1 in 390 |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Penelope
- 6 spots since 2024 (#28 → #22)
- 4 spots since 2020 (#26 → #22)
- 12 spots since 2015 (#34 → #22)
- Biggest jump: 472 spots in 2001 (#1,412 → #940)
- Biggest drop: 388 spots in 1890 (#950 → #1,338)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 2022 at #21 (6,430 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 13 yrs · run 2013–2025
- Top 1,000: 77 yrs · run 1935–1975
- Highest: 1 in 249 girls born in 2019 were named Penelope (0.40%)
- Latest: 1 in 258 girls born in 2025 (0.39%)
- Its best rank, #21 in 2022, was only 1 in 255 (0.39%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 43.5% of all girls named Penelope (47,614) were born in this decade
- Comeback: #265 (1944) → #2,658 (1989) → #21 (2022)
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 34 | #817 (1883) | #892 |
| 1890s | 36 | #943 (1891) | #1,378 |
| 1900s | 29 | #1,607 (1909) | #1,827 |
| 1910s | 248 | #1,026 (1919) | #1,462 |
| 1920s | 562 | #913 (1925) | #1,005 |
| 1930s | 1,109 | #325 (1939) | #830 |
| 1940s | 6,383 | #265 (1944) | #282 |
| 1950s | 4,758 | #305 (1950) | #411 |
| 1960s | 2,871 | #531 (1969) | #577 |
| 1970s | 1,750 | #571 (1970) | #882 |
| 1980s | 609 | #1,460 (1980) | #1,904 |
| 1990s | 795 | #1,458 (1998) | #1,903 |
| 2000s | 5,677 | #253 (2009) | #649 |
| 2010s | 47,614 | #22 (2019) | #73 |
| 2020s | 37,005 | #21 (2022) | #24 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Penelope in 2020
Top girls' names in 2020
Top boys' names in 2020
More about 2020
girls
1,616,549 girls got a published name in 2020; 1 in 263 of them was named Penelope, which outranked 99.9% of the 17,527 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 7.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,726,076 boys got a published name in 2020; 1 in 345,215 of them was named Penelope, which outranked 14.5% of the 14,060 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 7.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied with 2,038 names at #12,022; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
- ↓ 380Vivaan#875 → #1,255
- ↓ 282Alexzander#890 → #1,172
- ↓ 268Reyansh#806 → #1,074
- ↓ 266Javion#949 → #1,215
- ↓ 224Kenny#862 → #1,086
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.