Baby Name Popularity Profile
Penelope
Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Penelope.
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
π‘ The Penelope Vibe: Considered a Modern Trend. A contemporary choice reflecting current cultural naming rhythms and popularity brackets.
π Meaning & Etymology
Primary Meaning
Weaver
Language Origin
Greek
Origin Type
single
Derived from Greek, possibly from 'penelops' (a type of duck) or from 'pΔnΔ' (thread) and 'ops' (face/eye), referring to her skill as a weaver.
Common Nicknames
Penny
Nell
Nellie
Pen
Pronunciation:
puh-NEL-uh-pee
Etymology confidence:
High
π Popularity Over Time (1880 β 2025)
Annual registration volume (number of births) for Penelope across 146 years of SSA data.
Historical Timeline (1880 - 2025)
Recent Decade (2015 - 2025)
5-Year Trend (2020β2025)
+1.2%
10-Year Trend (2015β2025)
+4.6%
2015
2020
2025
π 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
π 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.
π¨βπ©βπ§ Sibling Name Suggestions
π Authentic State & Regional Rankings
Highest Ranking State
Nevada
Top States
Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Washington, Oregon
States with Data
51
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