Meaning not yet researched.
Penelope: US girls given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 6,225 in 2025. Its best rank was #21 in 2022.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #21 in 2022; #22 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Penelope in 2025 was a girl.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#22 for US girls in 2025. Its best year was 2022, at #21.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Penelope: US girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 6,225 girls in 2025. Peak: #21 in 2022 · most girls in one year: 6,734 (2019).
In 2025, 6,225 US girls were named Penelope, making it the 22nd most common girls’ name of the year, up 6 places from #28 in 2024. That is 465 more than the 5,760 girls named Penelope in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #21, reached in 2022. The most girls given the name in a single year was 6,734, in 2019. For comparison, it was #34 in 2015 and #305 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Penelope in 132 years of the 146 from 1880 to 2025, starting in 1880 with 5 babies. In all, 109,533 US babies have been given the name, all of them girls. Its busiest decade was the 2010s, with 47,641 babies named Penelope.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 63,331 US girls were named Penelope; the busiest of those years was 2019, with 6,734. In 2025 that was about 1 in 258 of the girls in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Penelope ranked highest in Alaska in 2025, at #7 for girls there. It was in the top 100 in 50 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Penny (101,003 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Pennelope and Penellope are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Penny.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in English and Italian. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Pennelope (399), Penellope (99).
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US girls. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five girls got the name, so every state is listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 24 | #7 | #48 |
| Oregon | 98 | #9 | #17 |
| Connecticut | 84 | #12 | #42 |
| Illinois | 255 | #15 | #33 |
| Kansas | 77 | #15 | #21 |
| New Hampshire | 37 | #16 | #56 |
| Ohio | 258 | #17 | #43 |
| Arizona | 174 | #18 | #18 |
| Vermont | 13 | #19 | #59 |
| Massachusetts | 157 | #20 | #40 |
| California | 827 | #20 | #19 |
| Missouri | 136 | #20 | #41 |
| Wisconsin | 111 | #20 | #33 |
| Colorado | 131 | #21 | #27 |
| Delaware | 19 | #22 | #60 |
| Indiana | 139 | #23 | #39 |
| Nevada | 54 | #23 | #20 |
| Iowa | 70 | #23 | #48 |
| Montana | 22 | #24 | #43 |
| Washington | 143 | #25 | #20 |
| Maine | 25 | #25 | #59 |
| Pennsylvania | 228 | #25 | #36 |
| Virginia | 169 | #26 | #42 |
| New York | 348 | #26 | #46 |
| Maryland | 98 | #27 | #54 |
| Michigan | 166 | #27 | #44 |
| Minnesota | 102 | #28 | #55 |
| Idaho | 40 | #29 | #55 |
| New Mexico | 28 | #30 | #25 |
| Tennessee | 143 | #30 | #93 |
| New Jersey | 173 | #30 | #43 |
| Florida | 336 | #31 | #33 |
| Oklahoma | 70 | #31 | #48 |
| Texas | 590 | #32 | #29 |
| District of Columbia | 16 | #33 | #97 |
| North Carolina | 188 | #34 | #76 |
| Hawaii | 14 | #35 | #52 |
| Kentucky | 79 | #36 | #68 |
| Georgia | 159 | #37 | #83 |
| Utah | 78 | #38 | #50 |
| Wyoming | 8 | #40 | #30 |
| Arkansas | 45 | #42 | #98 |
| South Carolina | 76 | #43 | #73 |
| West Virginia | 25 | #49 | #118 |
| North Dakota | 15 | #50 | #90 |
| Rhode Island | 15 | #51 | #23 |
| Alabama | 54 | #70 | #93 |
| Louisiana | 50 | #71 | #80 |
| South Dakota | 12 | #82 | #60 |
| Nebraska | 24 | #84 | #52 |
| Mississippi | 22 | #103 | #102 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,225 | #22 | — | — |
| 2024 | 5,760 | #28 | 6 | #11,984 |
| 2023 | 6,068 | #23 | — | — |
| 2022 | 6,430 | #21 | 5 | #13,832 |
| 2021 | 6,370 | #23 | 10 | #8,009 |
| 2020 | 6,152 | #26 | 5 | #13,556 |
| 2019 | 6,734 | #22 | — | — |
| 2018 | 6,524 | #26 | 7 | #10,461 |
| 2017 | 6,668 | #24 | 6 | #11,845 |
| 2016 | 6,400 | #27 | 9 | #8,640 |
| 2015 | 5,953 | #34 | 5 | #13,531 |
| 2014 | 5,089 | #43 | — | — |
| 2013 | 4,292 | #56 | — | — |
| 2012 | 2,536 | #125 | — | — |
| 2011 | 1,871 | #168 | — | — |
| 2010 | 1,547 | #200 | — | — |
| 2009 | 1,297 | #253 | — | — |
| 2008 | 919 | #359 | — | — |
| 2007 | 796 | #411 | — | — |
| 2006 | 649 | #482 | — | — |
| 2005 | 513 | #561 | — | — |
| 2004 | 424 | #646 | — | — |
| 2003 | 367 | #712 | — | — |
| 2002 | 346 | #717 | — | — |
| 2001 | 235 | #943 | — | — |
| 2000 | 131 | #1,419 | — | — |
| 1999 | 102 | #1,643 | — | — |
| 1998 | 117 | #1,466 | — | — |
| 1997 | 100 | #1,601 | — | — |
| 1996 | 80 | #1,835 | — | — |
| 1995 | 94 | #1,604 | — | — |
| 1994 | 65 | #2,117 | — | — |
| 1993 | 54 | #2,376 | — | — |
| 1992 | 63 | #2,152 | — | — |
| 1991 | 61 | #2,182 | — | — |
| 1990 | 59 | #2,194 | — | — |
| 1989 | 42 | #2,704 | — | — |
| 1988 | 47 | #2,356 | — | — |
| 1987 | 63 | #1,851 | — | — |
| 1986 | 54 | #2,017 | — | — |
| 1985 | 55 | #1,992 | — | — |
| 1984 | 58 | #1,859 | — | — |
| 1983 | 67 | #1,658 | — | — |
| 1982 | 62 | #1,779 | — | — |
| 1981 | 78 | #1,542 | — | — |
| 1980 | 83 | #1,470 | — | — |
| 1979 | 100 | #1,278 | — | — |
| 1978 | 108 | #1,172 | — | — |
| 1977 | 119 | #1,096 | — | — |
| 1976 | 120 | #1,034 | — | — |
| 1975 | 159 | #844 | — | — |
| 1974 | 184 | #760 | — | — |
| 1973 | 221 | #677 | — | — |
| 1972 | 219 | #677 | — | — |
| 1971 | 205 | #734 | — | — |
| 1970 | 315 | #571 | — | — |
| 1969 | 345 | #531 | — | — |
| 1968 | 282 | #570 | — | — |
| 1967 | 255 | #597 | — | — |
| 1966 | 223 | #643 | — | — |
| 1965 | 266 | #585 | — | — |
| 1964 | 266 | #616 | — | — |
| 1963 | 322 | #540 | — | — |
| 1962 | 286 | #586 | — | — |
| 1961 | 310 | #567 | — | — |
| 1960 | 316 | #549 | — | — |
| 1959 | 388 | #495 | — | — |
| 1958 | 387 | #485 | — | — |
| 1957 | 422 | #460 | — | — |
| 1956 | 380 | #479 | — | — |
| 1955 | 419 | #436 | — | — |
| 1954 | 482 | #396 | — | — |
| 1953 | 537 | #366 | — | — |
| 1952 | 529 | #360 | — | — |
| 1951 | 568 | #332 | — | — |
| 1950 | 646 | #305 | — | — |
| 1949 | 679 | #297 | — | — |
| 1948 | 782 | #275 | — | — |
| 1947 | 796 | #272 | — | — |
| 1946 | 641 | #289 | — | — |
| 1945 | 509 | #305 | — | — |
| 1944 | 678 | #265 | — | — |
| 1943 | 643 | #276 | — | — |
| 1942 | 670 | #267 | — | — |
| 1941 | 546 | #273 | — | — |
| 1940 | 439 | #300 | — | — |
| 1939 | 368 | #326 | — | — |
| 1938 | 188 | #486 | — | — |
| 1937 | 173 | #502 | — | — |
| 1936 | 102 | #656 | — | — |
| 1935 | 69 | #830 | — | — |
| 1934 | 43 | #1,074 | — | — |
| 1933 | 40 | #1,119 | — | — |
| 1932 | 45 | #1,065 | — | — |
| 1931 | 37 | #1,191 | — | — |
| 1930 | 44 | #1,124 | — | — |
| 1929 | 43 | #1,132 | — | — |
| 1928 | 49 | #1,080 | — | — |
| 1927 | 57 | #1,019 | — | — |
| 1926 | 64 | #935 | — | — |
| 1925 | 66 | #922 | — | — |
| 1924 | 65 | #949 | — | — |
| 1923 | 58 | #986 | — | — |
| 1922 | 61 | #959 | — | — |
| 1921 | 45 | #1,146 | — | — |
| 1920 | 54 | #1,013 | — | — |
| 1919 | 49 | #1,036 | — | — |
| 1918 | 44 | #1,118 | — | — |
| 1917 | 32 | #1,299 | — | — |
| 1916 | 37 | #1,183 | — | — |
| 1915 | 31 | #1,283 | — | — |
| 1914 | 16 | #1,722 | — | — |
| 1913 | 13 | #1,743 | — | — |
| 1912 | 11 | #1,814 | — | — |
| 1911 | 7 | #2,145 | — | — |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,897 | — | — |
| 1909 | 8 | #1,725 | — | — |
| 1907 | 5 | #2,318 | — | — |
| 1906 | 5 | #2,163 | — | — |
| 1902 | 5 | #1,980 | — | — |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,882 | — | — |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,906 | — | — |
| 1896 | 6 | #1,545 | — | — |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,764 | — | — |
| 1893 | 6 | #1,398 | — | — |
| 1891 | 9 | #992 | — | — |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,488 | — | — |
| 1889 | 8 | #1,011 | — | — |
| 1888 | 8 | #1,018 | — | — |
| 1886 | 7 | #974 | — | — |
| 1883 | 6 | #902 | — | — |
| 1880 | 5 | #917 | — | — |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).