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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201984peak #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 1984

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #549 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,735 girlsMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedILWisconsin: #359 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,064 girlsWIMichigan: #487 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 4,335 girlsMINew York: #1,443 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 17,395 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedSDIowa: #359 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,962 girlsIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedINOhio: #467 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 4,323 girlsOHPennsylvania: #632 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 6,805 girlsPANew Jersey: #782 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,826 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #933 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 8,755 girlsCAUtah: #466 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,986 girlsUTColorado: #448 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,091 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedNEMissouri: #623 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,271 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedWVVirginia: #404 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,137 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedDEArizona: #589 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,221 girlsAZNew Mexico: #299 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,402 girlsNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedARTennessee: #394 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,049 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #392 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,099 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #466 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,445 girlsOKLouisiana: #457 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,075 girlsLAMississippi: #271 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,504 girlsMSAlabama: #553 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,307 girlsALGeorgia: #514 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,966 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Penny, so not publishedHITexas: #742 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 6,521 girlsTXFlorida: #545 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 4,405 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#271 · 1 in 1,504
  2. New Mexico#299 · 1 in 1,402
  3. Iowa#359 · 1 in 2,962
  4. Wisconsin#359 · 1 in 3,064
  5. North Carolina#392 · 1 in 3,099

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#271101 in 1,504
New Mexico#29971 in 1,402
Iowa#35961 in 2,962
Wisconsin#359101 in 3,064
North Carolina#392111 in 3,099
Tennessee#39491 in 3,049
Virginia#404101 in 3,137
Colorado#44871 in 3,091
Louisiana#457101 in 3,075
Oklahoma#46661 in 3,445
Utah#46651 in 2,986
Ohio#467161 in 4,323
Michigan#487131 in 4,335
Georgia#51491 in 3,966
Florida#545141 in 4,405
Minnesota#54951 in 5,735
Alabama#55351 in 4,307
Arizona#58951 in 4,221
Missouri#62351 in 6,271
Pennsylvania#632101 in 6,805
Texas#742201 in 6,521
New Jersey#78251 in 7,826
California#933221 in 8,755
New York#1,44361 in 17,395
Alaska———
Arkansas———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
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 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 1984

girls
#632
280 births · 1 in 6,014 girls

Top girls' names in 1984

  1. #1Jennifer50,564
  2. #2Jessica45,857
  3. #3Ashley38,773
  4. #4Amanda33,915
  5. #5Sarah25,887
  6. #6Stephanie23,025
  7. #7Nicole22,270
  8. #8Melissa21,896
  9. #9Heather21,489
  10. #10Elizabeth20,360
  11. #632Penny280
More about 1984

girls

1,683,817 girls got a published name in 1984; 1 in 6,014 of them was named Penny, which outranked 94.8% of the 12,181 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Penny
  1. #629Alesha282
  2. #630Daphne281
  3. #630Shamika281
  4. #632Penny280
  5. #633Cari278
  6. #633Precious278
  7. #635Bridgett277
Biggest movers since 1983
Risers
  1. ↑ 8,259Santana#9,015 → #756
  2. ↑ 2,419Tasia#3,151 → #732
  3. ↑ 2,198Teela#3,065 → #867
  4. ↑ 1,074Grisel#1,858 → #784
  5. ↑ 894Kaylee#1,715 → #821
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,856Dwan#874 → #2,730
  2. ↓ 720Toccara#937 → #1,657
  3. ↓ 713Kaleena#547 → #1,260
  4. ↓ 303Karie#1,000 → #1,303
  5. ↓ 300Karyn#820 → #1,120

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

See the top 100 for 1984 →