Penny
Pet form of Penelope that took on a life of its own; the coin keeps it friendly.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Penny first shows up in the national records in 1882. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1962 to 1965. Its biggest year was 1963, when 5,129 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 86 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 740 for girls. All told, 101,003 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Pennie (5,814), Penni (2,606), Penney (1,951) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Penelope
Explore Penny interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 | No. 908 |
| 1890s | 29 | No. 1210 |
| 1900s | 50 | No. 1339 |
| 1910s | 146 | No. 1369 |
| 1920s | 467 | No. 889 |
| 1930s | 1,128 | No. 317 |
| 1940s | 13,113 | No. 142 |
| 1950s | 25,123 | No. 122 |
| 1960s | 38,220 | No. 86 |
| 1970s | 12,578 | No. 157 |
| 1980s | 2,951 | No. 407 |
| 1990s | 783 | No. 1330 |
| 2000s | 623 | No. 1979 |
| 2010s | 3,024 | No. 692 |
| 2020s | 2,373 | No. 676 |
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.