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
- Peak · girls
- 1963 · 5,129 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 4 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 100,619since 1882
Penny 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 | #740 | 368 | — | |
| 2024 | #747 | 377 | — | |
| 2023 | #676 | 434 | — | |
| 2022 | #726 | 402 | — | |
| 2021 | #704 | 409 | — | |
| 2020 | #725 | 383 | — | |
| 2019 | #768 | 362 | — | |
| 2018 | #751 | 363 | — | |
| 2017 | #768 | 361 | — | |
| 2016 | #692 | 419 | — | |
| 2015 | #757 | 372 | — | |
| 2014 | #808 | 345 | — | |
| 2013 | #996 | 251 | — | |
| 2012 | #1,071 | 233 | — | |
| 2011 | #1,382 | 165 | — | |
| 2010 | #1,474 | 153 | — | |
| 2009 | #1,979 | 105 | — | |
| 2008 | #2,206 | 90 | — | |
| 2007 | #2,368 | 80 | — | |
| 2006 | #2,887 | 60 | — | |
| 2005 | #3,081 | 51 | — | |
| 2004 | #2,965 | 53 | — | |
| 2003 | #3,291 | 44 | — | |
| 2002 | #2,976 | 49 | — | |
| 2001 | #3,486 | 38 | — | |
| 2000 | #2,740 | 53 | — | |
| 1999 | #2,610 | 54 | — | |
| 1998 | #2,398 | 58 | — | |
| 1997 | #2,174 | 63 | — | |
| 1996 | #2,177 | 62 | — | |
| 1995 | #2,101 | 64 | — | |
| 1994 | #1,798 | 80 | — | |
| 1993 | #1,694 | 88 | — | |
| 1992 | #1,661 | 91 | — | |
| 1991 | #1,517 | 102 | — | |
| 1990 | #1,330 | 121 | — | |
| 1989 | #1,067 | 158 | — | |
| 1988 | #1,053 | 151 | — | |
| 1987 | #947 | 171 | — | |
| 1986 | #800 | 210 | — | |
| 1985 | #670 | 270 | — | |
| 1984 | #632 | 280 | — | |
| 1983 | #602 | 295 | — | |
| 1982 | #522 | 379 | — | |
| 1981 | #445 | 482 | — | |
| 1980 | #407 | 555 | — | |
| 1979 | #339 | 697 | — | |
| 1978 | #311 | 750 | — | |
| 1977 | #279 | 856 | — | |
| 1976 | #268 | 870 | — | |
| 1975 | #235 | 1,027 | — | |
| 1974 | #219 | 1,174 | #4,190 | 7 |
| 1973 | #184 | 1,471 | #3,013 | 11 |
| 1972 | #180 | 1,587 | #3,622 | 8 |
| 1971 | #158 | 2,001 | #2,686 | 13 |
| 1970 | #157 | 2,145 | #2,621 | 13 |
| 1969 | #142 | 2,360 | #2,861 | 10 |
| 1968 | #124 | 2,576 | #2,576 | 11 |
| 1967 | #119 | 2,811 | #2,242 | 13 |
| 1966 | #112 | 3,109 | #2,986 | 8 |
| 1965 | #97 | 3,898 | #2,476 | 11 |
| 1964 | #96 | 4,396 | #2,040 | 16 |
| 1963 | #86 | 5,129 | #2,200 | 14 |
| 1962 | #92 | 5,001 | #1,546 | 26 |
| 1961 | #101 | 4,638 | #2,706 | 10 |
| 1960 | #113 | 4,302 | #2,315 | 13 |
| 1959 | #122 | 3,756 | #2,821 | 9 |
| 1958 | #124 | 3,556 | #2,265 | 13 |
| 1957 | #138 | 3,044 | #3,024 | 8 |
| 1956 | #158 | 2,348 | #2,969 | 8 |
| 1955 | #161 | 2,213 | #3,505 | 6 |
| 1954 | #163 | 2,134 | #2,942 | 8 |
| 1953 | #157 | 2,153 | #2,186 | 13 |
| 1952 | #157 | 2,091 | #2,514 | 10 |
| 1951 | #153 | 2,077 | #2,246 | 12 |
| 1950 | #161 | 1,751 | — | |
| 1949 | #158 | 1,846 | #3,019 | 7 |
| 1948 | #153 | 1,861 | — | |
| 1947 | #142 | 2,101 | #2,498 | 10 |
| 1946 | #163 | 1,645 | #2,143 | 12 |
| 1945 | #183 | 1,131 | — | |
| 1944 | #180 | 1,204 | #3,430 | 5 |
| 1943 | #184 | 1,203 | #2,964 | 7 |
| 1942 | #205 | 992 | #2,523 | 9 |
| 1941 | #254 | 637 | #3,505 | 5 |
| 1940 | #282 | 493 | #2,478 | 9 |
| 1939 | #317 | 380 | #2,829 | 7 |
| 1938 | #439 | 234 | #3,534 | 5 |
| 1937 | #510 | 165 | #3,518 | 5 |
| 1936 | #660 | 100 | #3,147 | 6 |
| 1935 | #785 | 74 | — | |
| 1934 | #966 | 51 | — | |
| 1933 | #1,102 | 40 | — | |
| 1932 | #1,568 | 24 | — | |
| 1931 | #1,336 | 30 | — | |
| 1930 | #1,403 | 30 | — | |
| 1929 | #1,212 | 38 | — | |
| 1928 | #1,051 | 51 | — | |
| 1927 | #1,108 | 47 | #4,210 | 5 |
| 1926 | #1,032 | 52 | — | |
| 1925 | #890 | 69 | — | |
| 1924 | #1,086 | 52 | — | |
| 1923 | #889 | 68 | — | |
| 1922 | #1,508 | 30 | — | |
| 1921 | #1,374 | 34 | — | |
| 1920 | #1,626 | 26 | #4,286 | 5 |
| 1919 | #1,369 | 32 | — | |
| 1918 | #1,805 | 21 | #3,728 | 6 |
| 1917 | #2,204 | 15 | — | |
| 1916 | #1,739 | 20 | #3,897 | 5 |
| 1915 | #2,255 | 13 | #3,825 | 5 |
| 1914 | #1,896 | 13 | — | |
| 1913 | #1,883 | 11 | — | |
| 1912 | #1,981 | 9 | — | |
| 1911 | #2,463 | 5 | — | |
| 1910 | #1,935 | 7 | — | |
| 1909 | #2,208 | 5 | — | |
| 1908 | #1,676 | 7 | — | |
| 1907 | #1,821 | 6 | — | |
| 1906 | #1,951 | 5 | — | |
| 1905 | #1,420 | 8 | — | |
| 1904 | #1,486 | 7 | — | |
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | #1,339 | 7 | — | |
| 1900 | #1,932 | 5 | — | |
| 1899 | #1,596 | 5 | — | |
| 1898 | #1,379 | 7 | — | |
| 1897 | #1,555 | 5 | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | #1,278 | 6 | — | |
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | #1,210 | 6 | — | |
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | #1,136 | 6 | — | |
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | #908 | 5 | — | |
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
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 1972
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Kentucky#81 · 1 in 355
- Maine#89 · 1 in 363
- Vermont#92 · 1 in 311
- North Carolina#100 · 1 in 427
- North Dakota#102 · 1 in 360
Best ever in a state: #15 in Vermont, 1965.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | #81 | 67 | 1 in 355 |
| Maine | #89 | 18 | 1 in 363 |
| Vermont | #92 | 8 | 1 in 311 |
| North Carolina | #100 | 86 | 1 in 427 |
| Mississippi | #102 | 43 | 1 in 403 |
| North Dakota | #102 | 11 | 1 in 360 |
| Delaware | #107 | 8 | 1 in 384 |
| Georgia | #114 | 70 | 1 in 514 |
| Tennessee | #115 | 55 | 1 in 515 |
| Kansas | #120 | 25 | 1 in 493 |
| Arkansas | #128 | 25 | 1 in 523 |
| Indiana | #128 | 67 | 1 in 553 |
| New Hampshire | #130 | 8 | 1 in 556 |
| Wisconsin | #131 | 46 | 1 in 598 |
| Virginia | #132 | 47 | 1 in 630 |
| Oklahoma | #135 | 27 | 1 in 604 |
| Iowa | #139 | 31 | 1 in 562 |
| West Virginia | #141 | 21 | 1 in 580 |
| Alabama | #152 | 36 | 1 in 671 |
| Louisiana | #153 | 40 | 1 in 663 |
| Illinois | #157 | 92 | 1 in 811 |
| Arizona | #158 | 22 | 1 in 658 |
| Ohio | #159 | 95 | 1 in 784 |
| Minnesota | #173 | 28 | 1 in 859 |
| Connecticut | #175 | 17 | 1 in 931 |
| Missouri | #175 | 37 | 1 in 845 |
| Oregon | #175 | 16 | 1 in 790 |
| Idaho | #177 | 7 | 1 in 677 |
| Michigan | #181 | 65 | 1 in 952 |
| South Dakota | #197 | 5 | 1 in 765 |
| Utah | #198 | 12 | 1 in 878 |
| South Carolina | #200 | 20 | 1 in 960 |
| Colorado | #213 | 16 | 1 in 984 |
| Florida | #213 | 43 | 1 in 1,034 |
| Texas | #223 | 92 | 1 in 1,047 |
| Pennsylvania | #228 | 55 | 1 in 1,311 |
| Maryland | #239 | 16 | 1 in 1,286 |
| New York | #244 | 84 | 1 in 1,320 |
| Nebraska | #246 | 7 | 1 in 1,336 |
| Hawaii | #257 | 5 | 1 in 890 |
| New Mexico | #261 | 7 | 1 in 1,091 |
| Washington | #269 | 13 | 1 in 1,476 |
| New Jersey | #348 | 18 | 1 in 2,263 |
| Massachusetts | #376 | 11 | 1 in 3,111 |
| California | #421 | 53 | 1 in 2,586 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1882
- Peaked 1963 at #86 (5,129 births)
- Births halved by 1969, 6 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 4 yrs · run 1962–1965
- Top 1,000: 70 yrs · run 1934–1987
- Highest: 1 in 376 girls born in 1963 were named Penny (0.27%)
- Latest: 1 in 4,368 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
- 38.0% of all girls named Penny (38,220) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 | #908 (1882) | #1,022 |
| 1890s | 29 | #1,210 (1890) | #1,404 |
| 1900s | 50 | #1,339 (1901) | #1,729 |
| 1910s | 146 | #1,369 (1919) | #1,953 |
| 1920s | 467 | #889 (1923) | #1,178 |
| 1930s | 1,128 | #317 (1939) | #909 |
| 1940s | 13,113 | #142 (1947) | #190 |
| 1950s | 25,123 | #122 (1959) | #149 |
| 1960s | 38,220 | #86 (1963) | #108 |
| 1970s | 12,578 | #157 (1970) | #233 |
| 1980s | 2,951 | #407 (1980) | #715 |
| 1990s | 783 | #1,330 (1990) | #1,946 |
| 2000s | 623 | #1,979 (2009) | #2,798 |
| 2010s | 3,024 | #692 (2016) | #947 |
| 2020s | 2,373 | #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 1972
Top girls' names in 1972
Top boys' names in 1972
More about 1972
girls
1,521,244 girls got a published name in 1972; 1 in 959 of them was named Penny, which outranked 98.1% of the 9,666 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 202,701 of them was named Penny, which outranked 37.0% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).