Penelope is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Penelope means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Penelope across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Penelope has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Penelope is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, possibly weaver”. the faithful wife of Odysseus.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 109,533 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 13,089 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 703 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 192 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 473 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,612 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Penelope per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2019 (6,734/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2022 (1,206/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (58/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2019 (46/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2023 (21/yr).
Penelope has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2019, when it ranked #71 nationally (given to 8,002 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2010s.
Pennelope · Penelopi · Penellope · Penelopy · Penelopie · Penelopee · Penelopea
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