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.
- #4,776 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,951
- born since 1925
- 1960s
- peak 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.
- #4,776 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,951 born since 1925
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Penney ranks #4,776 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,951 born since 1925, peaking in the 1960s.
- #4,776 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,951
- born since 1925
- 1960s
- peak decade
Penney's 1,951 recorded births place it above 93.39% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
14 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (746 births, 38% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Penney sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Penney most popular? ▼
Where is Penney most popular? ▼
How long has the name Penney been used? ▼
What names are similar to Penney? ▼
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
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
Compare Penney side by side: Penney vs Penelope Penney vs Penny Penney vs Pennie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Penney: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1962)
Similar record span (~93 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.