Baby Name Popularity Profile

Penelope

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Penelope.

✦ Weaver 🌍 Greek Mythological Traditional
National Rank (2025) #22
All-Time Peak Rank #21 Achieved 2022
Total U.S. Births 109,480 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 0.1% Boy / 99.9% Girl Female Archetype
First Recorded 1880 Data through: 2025
Peak Decade 2010s 6,734 births in 2019
πŸ’‘ The Penelope Vibe: Considered a Modern Trend. A contemporary choice reflecting current cultural naming rhythms and popularity brackets.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Weaver
Language Origin Greek
Origin Type single
Derived from Greek, possibly from 'penelops' (a type of duck) or from 'pΔ“nΔ“' (thread) and 'ops' (face/eye), referring to her skill as a weaver.
Common Nicknames
Penny Nell Nellie Pen
Pronunciation: puh-NEL-uh-pee
Themes & Categories
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“Š Popularity Over Time (1880 – 2025)

Annual registration volume (number of births) for Penelope across 146 years of SSA data.

Historical Timeline (1880 - 2025)
18801920196020002025
Recent Decade (2015 - 2025)
5-Year Trend (2020–2025) +1.2%
10-Year Trend (2015–2025) +4.6%
2015: 5,953 births 5,953 2016: 6,400 births 2017: 6,668 births 2018: 6,524 births 2019: 6,734 births 2020: 6,152 births 6,152 2021: 6,370 births 2022: 6,430 births 2023: 6,068 births 2024: 5,760 births 2025: 6,225 births 6,225
2015 2020 2025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones

Busiest Year on Record 6,734 births in 2019
Years in Top 100 13 yrs
Years in Top 500 42 yrs
Longest Streak 117 yrs
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 34
1890s: 36
1900s: 29
1910s: 248
1920s: 562
1930s: 1,109
1940s: 6,383
1950s: 4,758
1960s: 2,871
1970s: 1,750
1980s: 609
1990s: 795
2000s: 5,677
2010s: 47,614
2020s: 37,005

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Pe-ne-lop-e
Letter Count 8 letters
Spelling Complexity Complex
Length Percentile Longer than 79% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 79.0% of SSA names. Starts with P, a letter used by only 1.6% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Penelope.

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Nevada
Top States Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Washington, Oregon
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Nevada #23 890 2017 10.0% Decline
Arizona #18 2,710 2021 +0.6% Growth
Alaska #7 272 2022 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #25 2,922 2019 11.2% Decline
Oregon #9 1,603 2016 6.7% Decline
Florida #31 5,617 2017 7.2% Decline
California #20 16,224 2019 14.9% Decline
Colorado #21 1,908 2018 +4.8% Growth
Utah #38 1,250 2017 Stable
Idaho #29 524 2023 +37.9% Growth
Texas #32 9,934 2016 10.6% Decline
New Hampshire #16 404 2025 +42.3% Growth
Connecticut #12 1,324 2023 +27.3% Growth
Maine #25 490 2021 3.8% Decline
Virginia #26 2,506 2025 +15.8% Growth
Massachusetts #20 2,652 2017 +29.8% Growth
Delaware #22 217 2023 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #27 1,559 2023 +5.4% Growth
Illinois #15 4,977 2018 +14.3% Growth
New Jersey #30 2,767 2022 0.6% Decline
Wisconsin #20 1,978 2018 +32.1% Growth
Minnesota #28 1,754 2020 17.1% Decline
Indiana #23 2,235 2018 4.1% Decline
District of Columbia #33 420 2022 Insufficient historical volume
New York #26 7,204 2019 2.5% Decline
North Carolina #34 2,660 2024 +13.3% Growth
New Mexico #30 490 2017 +3.7% Growth
Ohio #17 4,160 2025 +15.7% Growth
Rhode Island #51 325 2020 48.3% Decline
Michigan #27 3,355 2021 4.0% Decline
Kansas #15 932 2015 +40.0% Growth
Missouri #20 1,963 2025 +17.2% Growth
Georgia #37 2,369 2019 +29.3% Growth
Hawaii #35 257 2016 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont #19 140 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska #84 574 2024 33.3% Decline
Tennessee #30 1,651 2025 +32.4% Growth
Oklahoma #31 1,045 2017 +7.7% Growth
Iowa #23 993 2025 +29.6% Growth
Pennsylvania #25 4,009 2019 +2.2% Growth
Wyoming #40 101 2015 Insufficient historical volume
Montana #24 227 2017 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #43 1,036 2024 +7.0% Growth
North Dakota #50 220 2020 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #36 1,123 2021 +43.6% Growth
South Dakota #82 183 2014 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #42 580 2019 +9.8% Growth
Louisiana #71 938 2018 10.7% Decline
West Virginia #49 471 2019 Stable
Alabama #70 928 2022 8.5% Decline
Mississippi #103 365 2015 15.4% Decline

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