Total births
1,951
Girls' name · since 1925
Penney
Since 1925, U.S. Social Security records show 1,951 babies named Penney, peaking in 1962. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 1,951
- total births
- 1925–2018
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
1,951 girls have been named Penney since 1925, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Penney recorded 1,951 times among girls since 1925, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1925 to 2018.
- 1,951 total births
- 1925–2018 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 38% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,951 girls have been named Penney since 1925, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2018.
- 1,951
- total births
- 1925–2018
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Penney was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
113 babies were named Penney in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
Penney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Penney's full recorded timeline at 1964, 41% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 59% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1925, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1962 peak of 113 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Penney at a glance
Last recorded 2018Peak year
1962
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1925
Penney popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1925–2018
- Peak year (1962)
- 113
- Annual births at peak, across 94 years of records
Penney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Penney's strongest decade.
746 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Penney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 249
1940s
249 births
- 1950s
1950s
540 births
- 1960s
1960s
746 births
- 1970s
1970s
312 births
- 1980s 67
1980s
67 births
- 2010s 27
2010s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 746 births (38% of all-time use).
How Penney compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Penney's total volume
Penney vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Penney by state
Where Penney concentrates geographically, total births since 1925
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 85 | 4.4% |
| #2 | California | | 69 | 3.5% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 56 | 2.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 41 | 2.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 23 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 23 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 11 | 0.6% |
New York share of Penney's total US births 4.4%
Even split
85 of 1,951 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Penney appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Penney? ▼
1,951 babies have been named Penney since 1925. It was last recorded in 2018. The peak year was 1962 with 113 births.
When was Penney most popular? ▼
Penney was most popular in the 1960s decade with 746 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Penney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Penney are New York (85 births), California (69 births), Michigan (56 births).
How long has the name Penney been used? ▼
Records for Penney go back to 1925, giving 94 years of history through 2018.
What names are similar to Penney? ▼
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 Penney's data
- Penney's decade-level peak was the 1960s (746 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Penneys (85 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Penney
Nearby Names Like Penney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Penney
Penelope Girl
#28 109,480 births
Penny Girl
#748 100,619 births
Pennie Girl
#9564 5,814 births
Penni Girl
2,606 births
Penina Girl
#4590 1,009 births
Compare Penney side by side: Penney vs Penelope Penney vs Penny Penney vs Pennie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1925–2018 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Penney: Baby Name Since 1925 - 1,951 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/penney. 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 Penney 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.