Penelope
Odysseus’s faithful wife in the Odyssey; ancient guesses tie the Greek name to a duck (penelops) or to weaving thread (pene).
Popularity, 1880–2025
Penelope appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 2013 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2019, when 6,734 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 22 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2022, at No. 21. In 2025 it ranked No. 22 for girls. All told, 109,533 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: Penny
Explore Penelope interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 34 | No. 817 |
| 1890s | 36 | No. 943 |
| 1900s | 29 | No. 1607 |
| 1910s | 248 | No. 1026 |
| 1920s | 562 | No. 913 |
| 1930s | 1,109 | No. 325 |
| 1940s | 6,383 | No. 265 |
| 1950s | 4,758 | No. 305 |
| 1960s | 2,871 | No. 531 |
| 1970s | 1,750 | No. 571 |
| 1980s | 609 | No. 1460 |
| 1990s | 795 | No. 1458 |
| 2000s | 5,677 | No. 253 |
| 2010s | 47,614 | No. 22 |
| 2020s | 37,005 | No. 21 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.