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Penny

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

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

Penny has appeared in US records since 1882 — best rank #86 (1963) · 100,619 babies named Penny all-time · 1 in 4,300 girls born in 2025.

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).

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

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