Penny

#740 for girls in 2025, 368 births · Last seen for boys in 1974 at #4,190
Given to girls 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1963 · 5,129 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
4 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
100,619
since 1882

Penny over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201950peak #86, 1963girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#740368—
2024#747377—
2023#676434—
2022#726402—
2021#704409—
2020#725383—
2019#768362—
2018#751363—
2017#768361—
2016#692419—
2015#757372—
2014#808345—
2013#996251—
2012#1,071233—
2011#1,382165—
2010#1,474153—
2009#1,979105—
2008#2,20690—
2007#2,36880—
2006#2,88760—
2005#3,08151—
2004#2,96553—
2003#3,29144—
2002#2,97649—
2001#3,48638—
2000#2,74053—
1999#2,61054—
1998#2,39858—
1997#2,17463—
1996#2,17762—
1995#2,10164—
1994#1,79880—
1993#1,69488—
1992#1,66191—
1991#1,517102—
1990#1,330121—
1989#1,067158—
1988#1,053151—
1987#947171—
1986#800210—
1985#670270—
1984#632280—
1983#602295—
1982#522379—
1981#445482—
1980#407555—
1979#339697—
1978#311750—
1977#279856—
1976#268870—
1975#2351,027—
1974#2191,174#4,1907
1973#1841,471#3,01311
1972#1801,587#3,6228
1971#1582,001#2,68613
1970#1572,145#2,62113
1969#1422,360#2,86110
1968#1242,576#2,57611
1967#1192,811#2,24213
1966#1123,109#2,9868
1965#973,898#2,47611
1964#964,396#2,04016
1963#865,129#2,20014
1962#925,001#1,54626
1961#1014,638#2,70610
1960#1134,302#2,31513
1959#1223,756#2,8219
1958#1243,556#2,26513
1957#1383,044#3,0248
1956#1582,348#2,9698
1955#1612,213#3,5056
1954#1632,134#2,9428
1953#1572,153#2,18613
1952#1572,091#2,51410
1951#1532,077#2,24612
1950#1611,751—
1949#1581,846#3,0197
1948#1531,861—
1947#1422,101#2,49810
1946#1631,645#2,14312
1945#1831,131—
1944#1801,204#3,4305
1943#1841,203#2,9647
1942#205992#2,5239
1941#254637#3,5055
1940#282493#2,4789
1939#317380#2,8297
1938#439234#3,5345
1937#510165#3,5185
1936#660100#3,1476
1935#78574—
1934#96651—
1933#1,10240—
1932#1,56824—
1931#1,33630—
1930#1,40330—
1929#1,21238—
1928#1,05151—
1927#1,10847#4,2105
1926#1,03252—
1925#89069—
1924#1,08652—
1923#88968—
1922#1,50830—
1921#1,37434—
1920#1,62626#4,2865
1919#1,36932—
1918#1,80521#3,7286
1917#2,20415—
1916#1,73920#3,8975
1915#2,25513#3,8255
1914#1,89613—
1913#1,88311—
1912#1,9819—
1911#2,4635—
1910#1,9357—
1909#2,2085—
1908#1,6767—
1907#1,8216—
1906#1,9515—
1905#1,4208—
1904#1,4867—
1903——
1902——
1901#1,3397—
1900#1,9325—
1899#1,5965—
1898#1,3797—
1897#1,5555—
1896——
1895——
1894——
1893——
1892#1,2786—
1891——
1890#1,2106—
1889——
1888#1,1366—
1887——
1886——
1885——
1884——
1883——
1882#9085—
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1882

The first year at least five girls were named Penny! It came in at #908, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1882–1887, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Penny is popular in 1950

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedAKMaine: #177 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,114 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #115 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 604 girlsNHWashington: #87 for girls · 67 births · 1 in 369 girlsWAIdaho: #102 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 405 girlsIDMontana: #112 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 422 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #99 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 425 girlsNDMinnesota: #148 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 921 girlsMNIllinois: #127 for girls · 130 births · 1 in 669 girlsILWisconsin: #122 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 752 girlsWIMichigan: #108 for girls · 139 births · 1 in 527 girlsMINew York: #205 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 1,347 girlsNYMassachusetts: #235 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,597 girlsMARhode Island: #156 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,042 girlsRIOregon: #91 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 387 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedNVWyoming: #78 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 294 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #166 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 903 girlsSDIowa: #113 for girls · 48 births · 1 in 577 girlsIAIndiana: #91 for girls · 93 births · 1 in 450 girlsINOhio: #110 for girls · 143 births · 1 in 595 girlsOHPennsylvania: #203 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 1,461 girlsPANew Jersey: #256 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 2,390 girlsNJConnecticut: #183 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,342 girlsCTCalifornia: #150 for girls · 160 births · 1 in 710 girlsCAUtah: #106 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 473 girlsUTColorado: #140 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 660 girlsCONebraska: #143 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 736 girlsNEMissouri: #136 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 837 girlsMOKentucky: #220 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,677 girlsKYWest Virginia: #123 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 674 girlsWVVirginia: #191 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 1,128 girlsVAMaryland: #257 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,281 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedDEArizona: #213 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,002 girlsAZNew Mexico: #299 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,810 girlsNMKansas: #114 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 561 girlsKSArkansas: #276 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,940 girlsARTennessee: #247 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,931 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #199 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 1,149 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #326 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,762 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #284 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,361 girlsDCOklahoma: #198 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,353 girlsOKLouisiana: #233 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,308 girlsLAMississippi: #282 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,771 girlsMSAlabama: #289 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,166 girlsALGeorgia: #237 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 1,495 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedHITexas: #239 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 1,407 girlsTXFlorida: #212 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,179 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Wyoming#78 · 1 in 294
  2. Washington#87 · 1 in 369
  3. Oregon#91 · 1 in 387
  4. Indiana#91 · 1 in 450
  5. North Dakota#99 · 1 in 425

Best ever in a state: #15 in Vermont, 1965.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wyoming#7891 in 294
Washington#87671 in 369
Indiana#91931 in 450
Oregon#91391 in 387
North Dakota#99161 in 425
Idaho#102151 in 405
Utah#106181 in 473
Michigan#1081391 in 527
Ohio#1101431 in 595
Montana#112141 in 422
Iowa#113481 in 577
Kansas#114321 in 561
New Hampshire#11581 in 604
Wisconsin#122491 in 752
West Virginia#123341 in 674
Illinois#1271301 in 669
Missouri#136471 in 837
Colorado#140221 in 660
Nebraska#143181 in 736
Minnesota#148361 in 921
California#1501601 in 710
Rhode Island#15671 in 1,042
South Dakota#16681 in 903
Maine#17781 in 1,114
Connecticut#183131 in 1,342
Virginia#191311 in 1,128
Oklahoma#198161 in 1,353
North Carolina#199421 in 1,149
Pennsylvania#203701 in 1,461
New York#2051061 in 1,347
Florida#212241 in 1,179
Arizona#21391 in 1,002
Kentucky#220201 in 1,677
Louisiana#233261 in 1,308
Massachusetts#235171 in 2,597
Georgia#237281 in 1,495
Texas#239681 in 1,407
Tennessee#247191 in 1,931
New Jersey#256181 in 2,390
Maryland#257101 in 2,281
Arkansas#276111 in 1,940
Mississippi#282161 in 1,771
District of Columbia#28451 in 2,361
Alabama#289171 in 2,166
New Mexico#29951 in 1,810
South Carolina#326101 in 2,762
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Nevada———
Vermont———

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 Penny
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 7 spots since 2024 (#747 → #740)
  • 15 spots since 2020 (#725 → #740)
  • 17 spots since 2015 (#757 → #740)
  • Biggest jump: 619 spots in 1923 (#1,508 → #889)
  • Biggest drop: 197 spots in 1924 (#889 → #1,086)
Rise & fade · girls
81 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1882
  • Peaked 1963 at #86 (5,129 births)
  • Births halved by 1969, 6 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 4 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 4 yrs · run 1962–1965
  • Top 1,000: 70 yrs · run 1934–1987
Share of babies · girls
1 in 376
  • Highest: 1 in 376 girls born in 1963 were named Penny (0.27%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,368 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
Era · girls
The 1960s
  • 38.0% of all girls named Penny (38,220) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s11#908 (1882)#1,022
1890s29#1,210 (1890)#1,404
1900s50#1,339 (1901)#1,729
1910s146#1,369 (1919)#1,953
1920s467#889 (1923)#1,178
1930s1,128#317 (1939)#909
1940s13,113#142 (1947)#190
1950s25,123#122 (1959)#149
1960s38,220#86 (1963)#108
1970s12,578#157 (1970)#233
1980s2,951#407 (1980)#715
1990s783#1,330 (1990)#1,946
2000s623#1,979 (2009)#2,798
2010s3,024#692 (2016)#947
2020s2,373#676 (2023)#720

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.

Penny in 1950

girls
#161
1,751 births · 1 in 978 girls

Top girls' names in 1950

  1. #1Linda80,433
  2. #2Mary65,481
  3. #3Patricia47,944
  4. #4Barbara41,556
  5. #5Susan38,017
  6. #6Nancy29,617
  7. #7Deborah29,063
  8. #8Sandra28,896
  9. #9Carol26,163
  10. #10Kathleen25,706
  11. #161Penny1,751
More about 1950

girls

1,713,054 girls got a published name in 1950; 1 in 978 of them was named Penny, which outranked 97.4% of the 6,109 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Penny
  1. #158Audrey1,803
  2. #159Joy1,775
  3. #160Carla1,753
  4. #161Penny1,751
  5. #162Esther1,740
  6. #163Pauline1,739
  7. #164Janie1,729
Biggest movers since 1949
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,242Mindy#2,013 → #771
  2. ↑ 649Geralyn#1,627 → #978
  3. ↑ 636Kyle#1,512 → #876
  4. ↑ 416Debrah#1,109 → #693
  5. ↑ 405Debbra#1,353 → #948
Fallers
  1. ↓ 241Luana#823 → #1,064
  2. ↓ 231Christene#930 → #1,161
  3. ↓ 216Pearline#785 → #1,001
  4. ↓ 210Ingrid#518 → #728
  5. ↓ 201Dayle#982 → #1,183

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1950 →