Total births
1,208
Boys' name · since 1915
Penn
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 1,208 babies named Penn, peaking in 2014. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2966
- among boys today
- 1,208
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Penn currently ranks #2966 among boys' names in America, with 1,208 babies recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show Penn recorded 1,208 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #2966 nationally today, ahead of 79% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #2966 among boys today
- 1,208 born since 1915
- 2010s peak decade
- 79% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Penn is currently the #2966 boys' name in America, more common than 79% of boys - 1,208 born since 1915, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2966
- among boys today
- 1,208
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Penn vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2966
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 79% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
45% of everyone ever named Penn was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
79 babies were named Penn in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Penn compares
1,208 Top 28% higher than 72% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Penn's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Penn | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,208 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 79 | 23 | 22,252 |
Penn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Penn splits its recorded history at 1992: 85% of all births land in the more recent half, 15% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2014 peak of 79 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Penn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2014
Current rank
#2,966
Active since
1915
Penn popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 79
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Penn popularity over time - girls
22 total births recorded since 2015 (Penn as girls' name)
Penn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Penn's strongest decade.
539 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Penn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 13
1910s
13 births
- 1920s 21
1920s
21 births
- 1930s 11
1930s
11 births
- 1940s 25
1940s
25 births
- 1950s 38
1950s
38 births
- 1960s 19
1960s
19 births
- 1970s 16
1970s
16 births
- 1980s 33
1980s
33 births
- 1990s 24
1990s
24 births
- 2000s 119
2000s
119 births
- 2010s
2010s
539 births
- 2020s
2020s
350 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 539 births (45% of all-time use).
How Penn compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Penn's total volume
Penn vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Penn by state
Where Penn concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 85 | 7.0% |
| #2 | California | | 55 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 37 | 3.1% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 12 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Utah | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 5 | 0.4% |
Pennsylvania share of Penn's total US births 7.0%
Even split
85 of 1,208 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Penn? ▼
1,208 babies have been named Penn since 1915. It currently ranks #2966 among boys. The peak year was 2014 with 79 births.
When was Penn most popular? ▼
Penn was most popular in the 2010s decade with 539 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Penn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Penn are Pennsylvania (85 births), California (55 births), Texas (37 births).
How long has the name Penn been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Penn since 1915 -- 111 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Penn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Penny, Peng, Peniel, Penelope, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Penn's data
- Penn's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (539 total births) through the 2020s (350) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Pennsylvania records the most Penns (85 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Penn
Nearby Names Like Penn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Penn
Penny Boy
384 births
Peng Boy
227 births
Peniel Boy
#10353 163 births
Penelope Boy
#11955 53 births
Pendleton Boy
49 births
Compare Penn side by side: Penn vs Penny Penn vs Peng Penn vs Peniel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Penn
Abelardo #2965
4,816 births · Peak 2002
Thane #2967
2,604 births · Peak 2015
Britton #2964
6,337 births · Peak 2006
Jun #2968
1,452 births · Peak 2003
Elden #2963
5,921 births · Peak 1922
Stevie #2969
12,437 births · Peak 1959
Weldon #2962
14,249 births · Peak 1920
Cashmere #2970
657 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Penn: #2966 Boys' Name - 1,208 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/penn. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Penn draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.