Names of the Week
*
*
Word of the Week
 More

Penelope Name Popularity

    

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is Penelope?

In 2018 the very popular name Penelope, ranked the 26th Most Popular Girls Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 50 most popular, Penelope has been less popular than the top 1000 in the past.

Position 24, its highest popularity ranking, was reached in 2017 with 6,652 occurrences.

In any year, the least number of babies named Penelope was less than 5, most recently in 1908.

Penelope, decisively moved upwards in popularity around the years 1911-1918, 1931-1942, 1966-1969, and 1992-2016, whereas unequivocal downward movement occurred about 1972-1976, and 1977-1982.

Sometimes the name Penelope has been more popular as a girls name and sometimes it has been more popular as a boys.

The popularity trend for Penelope has been soaring upward for a while. Of late, continuing the trend, the number of parents selecting the name Penelope for their newborn has risen.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Penelope?

Penelope's popularity is at or near its highest point when measured against its most notable year.

The name Penelope is favored by many parents and will probably continue to rise upward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

 
Mouse over or Click for Percentages.
   Penelope (Girl)Penelope (Boy)
Year %No. of Babies Given NamePopul. RankNo. of Babies Given NamePopul. Rank
2018 6,474 26 6 11,713
2017 6,652 24 6 11,821
2016 6,389 27 9 8,624
2015 5,949 34 5 13,499
2014 5,084 43 < 5 --
2013 4,289 56 < 5 --
2012 2,534 125 < 5 --
2011 1,871 168 < 5 --
2010 1,547 200 < 5 --
2009 1,296 252 < 5 --
2008 919 359 < 5 --
2007 794 410 < 5 --
2006 649 482 < 5 --
2005 513 559 < 5 --
2004 424 645 < 5 --
2003 367 712 < 5 --
2002 346 717 < 5 --
2001 235 941 < 5 --
2000 131 1,419 < 5 --
1999 102 1,643 < 5 --
1998 116 1,478 < 5 --
1997 99 1,612 < 5 --
1996 80 1,835 < 5 --
1995 92 1,622 < 5 --
1994 65 2,117 < 5 --
1993 54 2,374 < 5 --
1992 63 2,150 < 5 --
1991 61 2,182 < 5 --
1990 60 2,169 < 5 --
1989 42 2,703 < 5 --
1988 47 2,356 < 5 --
1987 63 1,849 < 5 --
1986 53 2,046 < 5 --
1985 56 1,967 < 5 --
1984 59 1,826 < 5 --
1983 66 1,684 < 5 --
1982 61 1,800 < 5 --
1981 78 1,541 < 5 --
1980 83 1,470 < 5 --
1979 100 1,278 < 5 --
1978 108 1,172 < 5 --
1977 119 1,096 < 5 --
1976 121 1,030 < 5 --
1975 160 842 < 5 --
1974 184 760 < 5 --
1973 222 675 < 5 --
1972 219 677 < 5 --
1971 204 737 < 5 --
1970 315 571 < 5 --
1969 345 531 < 5 --
1968 282 570 < 5 --
1967 255 597 < 5 --
1966 223 643 < 5 --
1965 264 587 < 5 --
1964 266 616 < 5 --
1963 322 541 < 5 --
1962 286 585 < 5 --
1961 310 568 < 5 --
1960 316 549 < 5 --
1959 388 495 < 5 --
1958 387 484 < 5 --
1957 422 461 < 5 --
1956 380 480 < 5 --
1955 419 435 < 5 --
1954 482 396 < 5 --
1953 537 366 < 5 --
1952 529 360 < 5 --
1951 568 332 < 5 --
1950 645 305 < 5 --
1949 679 297 < 5 --
1948 782 275 < 5 --
1947 797 271 < 5 --
1946 641 289 < 5 --
1945 509 305 < 5 --
1944 678 265 < 5 --
1943 643 275 < 5 --
1942 670 267 < 5 --
1941 546 273 < 5 --
1940 439 300 < 5 --
1939 368 325 < 5 --
1938 188 486 < 5 --
1937 173 502 < 5 --
1936 102 656 < 5 --
1935 69 828 < 5 --
1934 43 1,073 < 5 --
1933 40 1,119 < 5 --
1932 45 1,064 < 5 --
1931 37 1,192 < 5 --
1930 44 1,125 < 5 --
1929 43 1,132 < 5 --
1928 49 1,080 < 5 --
1927 57 1,019 < 5 --
1926 64 935 < 5 --
1925 66 922 < 5 --
1924 65 949 < 5 --
1923 58 986 < 5 --
1922 61 960 < 5 --
1921 45 1,146 < 5 --
1920 54 1,013 < 5 --
1919 49 1,036 < 5 --
1918 44 1,118 < 5 --
1917 32 1,299 < 5 --
1916 37 1,183 < 5 --
1915 31 1,283 < 5 --
1914 16 1,722 < 5 --
1913 13 1,743 < 5 --
1912 11 1,814 < 5 --
1911 7 2,145 < 5 --
1910 8 1,897 < 5 --
1909 8 1,725 < 5 --
1908 < 5 -- < 5 --
1907 5 2,318 < 5 --
1906 5 2,163 < 5 --
1905 < 5 -- < 5 --
1904 < 5 -- < 5 --
1903 < 5 -- < 5 --
1902 5 1,980 < 5 --
1901 < 5 -- < 5 --
1900 6 1,882 < 5 --
1899 < 5 -- < 5 --
1898 5 1,906 < 5 --
1897 < 5 -- < 5 --
1896 6 1,545 < 5 --
1895 5 1,764 < 5 --
1894 < 5 -- < 5 --
1893 6 1,398 < 5 --
1892 < 5 -- < 5 --
1891 9 992 < 5 --
1890 5 1,488 < 5 --
1889 8 1,011 < 5 --
1888 8 1,018 < 5 --
1887 < 5 -- < 5 --
1886 7 974 < 5 --
1885 < 5 -- < 5 --
1884 < 5 -- < 5 --
1883 6 902 < 5 --
1882 < 5 -- < 5 --
1881 < 5 -- < 5 --
1880 5 917 < 5 --

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.