Penn
Penn is a surname and given name.
Meaning & Origin of Penn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Penn is a surname and given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Penn
Penn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1915, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 79 Penns were born — ranking #1,857 that year. As of 2026, Penn ranks #2,981 for baby boys with 42 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 1K Penns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Penn
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Penn Badgley , American actor best known for his role as Dan Humphrey on the TV series Gossip Girl
- Penn Jillette , member of the comedy and magic duo Penn & Teller
- Penn Jones Jr. , American author and journalist
- Penn Kemp , Canadian poet and playwright
- Penn Murfee , American baseball player
- Penn Kelly , professional gamer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Penn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Penn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Penn
What does the name Penn mean?
How popular is Penn in 2026?
When was Penn most popular?
In which U.S. states is Penn most popular?
Is Penn a unisex name?
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About the name Penn
Penn is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Penn's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #1,857. Use the chart and map above to compare Penn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.