ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

2019

Peak Year

#21

Peak Rank

115K

Total Count

133

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Penelope

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Penelope, often used in reference to Homer's character, is a female first name of Greek origin. Its meaning is uncertain, but may derive from the Greek word penelops, which means duck or refers to another water fowl sacred to the Ancient Greeks. The name might also be derived from the Greek pene meaning web and either ops meaning eye or lepo, meaning unraveled, implying the meaning weaver.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Greek Mythology
* English
* French
* Spanish
* Portuguese

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Penelope](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Penelope_Boothby_by_Joshua_Reynolds.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

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## The Story of Penelope

American parents first put Penelope on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 6,733 Penelopes were born — ranking #22 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 41% of all recorded Penelopes. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #27 among baby girl names with 5,789 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 115K Penelopes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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## Variants & Related Forms of Penelope

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Penelope. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* Pen
* [Pene](/pene)
* [Penny](/penny)

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## Notable people named Penelope

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia. 

* ●Penelope Aitken (1910–2005), English socialite
* ●Penelope Aubin , English novelist
* ●Penelope Austin , Australian singer-songwriter
* ●Pénélope Bagieu (born 1982), French illustrator and comic designer
* ●Penelope Blackmore (born 1984), Australian rhythmic gymnast
* ●Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire (1562–1607), English noblewoman
* ●Penelope Boothby (1785–1791), English famous child model in British art
* ●Penelope Boston , American speleologist

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

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## Names that sound like Penelope

Phonetically similar names — useful when Penelope is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* Panella
* Pinellas
* Panelling
* Pinelli
* Pennella
* Penology
* Panola
* Penalty
* Penality
* Penally
* Pinilla
* Penniless

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

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## Frequently Asked Questions about Penelope

What does the name Penelope mean?

Penelope, often used in reference to Homer's character, is a female first name of Greek origin. Its meaning is uncertain, but may derive from the Greek word penelops, which means duck or refers to another water fowl sacred to the Ancient Greeks. The name might also be derived from the Greek pene meaning web and either ops meaning eye or lepo, meaning unraveled, implying the meaning weaver.

What is the origin of the name Penelope?

Penelope has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Greek Mythology, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese.

How popular is Penelope in 2026?

In 2026, Penelope ranks #27 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5,789 babies given the name that year.

When was Penelope most popular?

Penelope reached its peak popularity in 2019, ranking #21 that year with 6,733 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Penelope most popular?

Penelope has historically been most popular in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Penelope.

Is Penelope a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Penelope is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Penelope?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Penelope include Josephine, Ellie, Janice. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Penelope?

Common variants and related forms of Penelope include Pen, Pene, Penny. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👧JosephinePeak #21](/josephine)[👧ElliePeak #21](/ellie)[👧JanicePeak #21](/janice)[👧BrooklynPeak #21](/brooklyn)[👧CarriePeak #20](/carrie)[👧MaudePeak #20](/maude)[👧GertrudePeak #22](/gertrude)[👧NoraPeak #22](/nora)

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## About the name Penelope 

Penelope is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 115K births in the dataset. Penelope's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #21\. Use the chart and map above to compare Penelope's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 2019 → ](/year/2019)
* [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s)
* [ Names starting with "P" → ](/letter/p)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides. 

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