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
Showing
- 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
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| 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 | — | |
First appearance
1880
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 1940
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Massachusetts#156 · 1 in 1,336
- Wisconsin#157 · 1 in 1,273
- Washington#159 · 1 in 826
- Connecticut#160 · 1 in 1,183
- Oregon#164 · 1 in 892
Best ever in a state: #5 in Alaska, 2025.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | #156 | 22 | 1 in 1,336 |
| Wisconsin | #157 | 19 | 1 in 1,273 |
| Washington | #159 | 14 | 1 in 826 |
| Connecticut | #160 | 9 | 1 in 1,183 |
| Oregon | #164 | 8 | 1 in 892 |
| Illinois | #167 | 46 | 1 in 1,223 |
| California | #200 | 43 | 1 in 1,161 |
| Indiana | #201 | 16 | 1 in 1,679 |
| New York | #214 | 53 | 1 in 1,693 |
| Michigan | #222 | 22 | 1 in 1,988 |
| Maryland | #231 | 7 | 1 in 1,857 |
| Pennsylvania | #254 | 32 | 1 in 2,344 |
| Colorado | #262 | 5 | 1 in 1,817 |
| Iowa | #271 | 7 | 1 in 2,817 |
| Minnesota | #276 | 8 | 1 in 2,838 |
| Ohio | #284 | 17 | 1 in 3,100 |
| New Jersey | #304 | 7 | 1 in 3,691 |
| Georgia | #335 | 11 | 1 in 2,887 |
| Missouri | #337 | 8 | 1 in 3,496 |
| Kentucky | #348 | 9 | 1 in 3,184 |
| Florida | #376 | 5 | 1 in 2,965 |
| Oklahoma | #444 | 5 | 1 in 4,033 |
| Texas | #620 | 10 | 1 in 6,010 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| 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 Penelope
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
- 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)
Rise & fade · girls
142 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 2022 at #21 (6,430 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 13 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 13 yrs · run 2013–2025
- Top 1,000: 77 yrs · run 1935–1975
Share of babies · girls
1 in 249
- 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
Era · girls
The 2010s
- 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 1940
girls
#300
439 births · 1 in 2,605 girls
Top girls' names in 1940
More about 1940
girls
1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 2,605 of them was named Penelope, which outranked 94.0% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Penelope
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.