Total births
399
Girls' name · since 1942
Pennelope
Pennelope has 399 recorded births since 1942 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2017 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8509
- among girls today
- 399
- born since 1942
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Pennelope is the #8509 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 399 recorded since 1942.
Pennelope has 399 recorded births among girls since 1942, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8509 as of the latest data, more common than 52% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1942 to 2025.
- #8509 among girls today
- 399 born since 1942
- 2010s peak decade
- 52% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Pennelope is currently the #8509 girls' name in America, more common than 52% of girls - 399 born since 1942, peaking in the 2010s.
- #8509
- among girls today
- 399
- born since 1942
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Pennelope vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8509
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 52% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Pennelope was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
30 babies were named Pennelope in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Pennelope compares
399 Top 49% higher than 51% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Pennelope's all-time total is 4% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pennelope | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 399 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 30 | 48 | 19,840 |
Pennelope's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Pennelope's full recorded timeline at 2008, 66% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 34% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1942, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2017 peak of 30 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Pennelope at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#8,509
Active since
1942
Pennelope popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1942–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 30
- Annual births at peak, across 84 years of records
Pennelope by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Pennelope's strongest decade.
162 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Pennelope births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 48
1940s
48 births
- 1950s 57
1950s
57 births
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 2000s 41
2000s
41 births
- 2010s
2010s
162 births
- 2020s
2020s
85 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 162 births (41% of all-time use).
Pennelope by state
Where Pennelope concentrates geographically, total births since 1942
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 22 | 5.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11 | 2.8% |
California share of Pennelope's total US births 5.5%
Even split
22 of 399 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pennelope? ▼
Pennelope has been given to 399 babies in the U.S. since 1942, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8509 as of the latest data. 30 babies were born in 2017, its single highest year.
When was Pennelope most popular? ▼
Pennelope was most popular in the 2010s decade with 162 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Pennelope most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pennelope are California (22 births), Texas (11 births).
How long has the name Pennelope been used? ▼
Records for Pennelope go back to 1942, giving 84 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Pennelope? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Penelope, Penny, Pennie, Penni, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Pennelope's data
- Pennelope's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (162 total births) through the 2020s (85) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Pennelopes (22 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Pennelope
Nearby Names Like Pennelope
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pennelope
Penelope Girl
#28 109,480 births
Penny Girl
#748 100,619 births
Pennie Girl
#9564 5,814 births
Penni Girl
2,606 births
Penney Girl
1,951 births
Compare Pennelope side by side: Pennelope vs Penelope Pennelope vs Penny Pennelope vs Pennie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pennelope
Jaynie #8508
1,157 births · Peak 2011
Kala #8510
7,680 births · Peak 1989
Jaclynn #8507
2,812 births · Peak 1990
Kasandra #8511
9,468 births · Peak 1993
Casandra #8506
15,784 births · Peak 1990
Carlisle #8512
467 births · Peak 2010
Shirin #8505
801 births · Peak 1985
Dori #8513
4,952 births · Peak 1961
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1942–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pennelope: #8509 Girls' Name - 399 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pennelope. 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 Pennelope 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 July 2026.