Penelope

“Possibly 'duck'; also interpreted as 'weaver'” — Ancient Greek origin

Girl's name · #22 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Penelope was #265 in 1944, slipped to #2704 by 1989, climbed back to #21 by 2022, and currently stands at #22. Roughly 109,000 girls have been named Penelope since 1880. Penny is a short form of Penelope.

Around the world: #33 in England & Wales (2025) · #36 in Australia (QLD) (2025) · #41 in Australia (NSW) (2025) · #43 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #43 in New Zealand (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Penelopes

Penélope Cruz — Spanish actress (born 1974)
Penelope Fitzgerald — British writer and poet (1916–2000)
Penelope Ann Miller — American actress
Penelope Wilton — English actress
Penelope Lively — British novelist (born 1933)

In stories & tradition

Penelope — Odyssey · Madness of Odysseus
Penelope (Mrs. Puff) — SpongeBob SquarePants · The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Penelope (Penny) — The Big Bang Theory

What Penelopes become

Among 285 notable people named Penelope:

Entertainers appear 1.79× more often than among typical names — e.g. Penélope Cruz, Spanish actress (born 1974).

Similar names: Daphne · Zoe · Phoebe · Lainey · Chloe · Evangeline

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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