Penelope

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

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

Penelope has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #21 (2022) · 109,480 babies named Penelope all-time · 1 in 260 girls born in 2025.

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

Penelope Fitzgerald — British writer and poet (1916–2000)
Penelope Ann Miller — American actress
Penelope Wilton — English actress
Penelope Lively — British novelist (born 1933)
Penelope Delta — Greek children's writer (1874–1941)

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 241 notable people named Penelope:

Entertainers appear 1.69× more often than among typical names — e.g. Penelope Ann Miller, American actress.

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