Penny

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

Girl's name · #740 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Penny was #86 in 1963, slipped to #3528 by 2001, and has climbed back to #740 today. Roughly 101,000 girls have been named Penny since 1882. In Utah and Idaho it runs 3–6× its national rate.

Around the world: about 1 in 380 girls in N. Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 700 girls in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 720 girls in Scotland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 31 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Pennys

Penny Marshall — American actress, director and producer (1943–2018)
Penny Mordaunt — British politician (born 1973)
Penny Johnson Jerald — American actress
Penny Oleksiak — Canadian swimmer (2000-)
Penny Pritzker — American billionaire businesswoman (born 1959)

In stories & tradition

Penny — The Big Bang Theory
Penny Widmore — Lost
Penny Halliwell — Charmed

What Pennys become

Among 362 notable people named Penny:

Entertainers appear 1.46× more often than among typical names — e.g. Penny Marshall, American actress, director and producer (1943–2018).

Similar names: Margo · Pepper · Renee · Joni · Angie · Dorothy

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

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