Girl's name
Penelope
Say it puh-NEL-uh-pee
Greek origin possibly duck
4 syllables
Where Penelope is loved, common and rare
Common across England and Wales, Ontario, British Columbia and six more places. Rare in Italy, Northern Ireland, Quebec and 12 more places.
1 in 216 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
England and Wales 33rdOntario 42ndBritish Columbia 49th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 24 of the 40 official lists, among them England and Wales (33rd), Ontario (42nd) and British Columbia (49th).
Show all 24 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 33rd 2025 | 1,174 | 1 in 216 |
| Queensland state | 36th 2025 | 118 | rank only |
| New South Wales state | 41st 2025 | 153 | rank only |
| Ontario province | 42nd 2024 | 185 | about 1 in 294 |
| Victoria state | 43rd 2025 | 136 | rank only |
| New Zealand | 43rd 2025 | 73 | rank only |
| British Columbia province | 49th 2023 | 46 | about 1 in 260 |
| Scotland | 71st 2025 | 58 | 1 in 308 |
| South Australia state | 71st 2025 | 24 | rank only |
| Italy | 106th 2024 | 274 | 1 in 654 |
| Quebec province | 111th 2025 | 50 | about 1 in 520 |
| Northern Ireland | 111th 2025 | 19 | 1 in 383 |
| Ireland | 148th 2025 | 31 | 1 in 681 |
| Berlin city | 257th 2023 | 12 | about 1 in 1,209 |
| Cologne city | 308th 2023 | 3 | about 1 in 2,048 |
| Austria | 408th 2025 | 12 | 1 in 2,977 |
| Switzerland | 480th 2025 | 23 | 1 in 1,478 |
| The Netherlands | 501st 2025 | 25 | about 1 in 2,441 |
| France as Pénélope | 507th 2025 | 95 | 1 in 3,019 |
| Catalonia region as Penèlope | 604th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 4,818 |
| Poland | 706th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 59,894 |
| Sweden | 782nd 2025 | 6 | about 1 in 6,695 |
| Leipzig city | 344th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 2,624 |
| Bonn city | 382nd 2025 | 2 | about 1 in 1,508 |
Rare, below the listed names: Munich, Rostock, Norway, Spain, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
In Homer's Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, and the name comes from Ancient Greek Πηνελόπη. It is possibly linked to pēnélops, 'duck', though that connection is not certain.
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Its four syllables, puh-NEL-uh-pee, are all sounded, including the final e. Penny and Pen are the natural short forms, and Penélope and Pénélope are accented spellings used in other languages.
Penelope ranks high in England and Wales and is well used in Queensland and New South Wales, with a smaller following in Italy. The French records place its peak in 2010, and it is now rising in nine places while falling in only one, so its momentum remains strong.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- puh-NEL-uh-pee, 4 syllables
- Meaning
possibly duck
- Origin
- Greek
- Other spellings
- Penny
- Pen
- Penelopa
Counted together here: Penèlope, Penélope and Pénélope.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Πηνελόπη (Pēnelópē), possibly from πηνέλοψ (pēnélops, “duck”).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 9 of 22 regions, falling in 1.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 63 | 55 | 48 | 41 | 44 | 38 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 33 |
| Scotland | 131 | 88 | 87 | 97 | 109 | 81 | 83 | 86 | 81 | 71 |
| Northern Ireland | 129 | 134 | 145 | 107 | 111 | 116 | 114 | 99 | 144 | 111 |
| Ireland | 228 | 133 | 159 | 119 | 178 | 160 | 157 | 143 | 156 | 148 |
| Ontario | 54 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 39 | 46 | 39 | 45 | 42 | |
| British Columbia | 49 | 46 | 46 | 42 | 49 | 45 | 33 | 49 | ||
| New South Wales | 52 | 54 | 47 | 48 | 47 | 43 | 45 | 40 | 40 | 41 |
| Victoria | 63 | 48 | 59 | 55 | 41 | 45 | 31 | 40 | 37 | 43 |
| Queensland | 48 | 45 | 38 | 33 | 45 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 42 | 36 |
| South Australia | 79 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 37 | 60 | 48 | 32 | 58 | 71 |
| New Zealand | 66 | 64 | 53 | 66 | 60 | 52 | 57 | 44 | 44 | 43 |
| Quebec | 120 | 124 | 115 | 111 | 111 | 124 | 104 | 106 | 100 | 111 |
| France | 417 | 500 | 541 | 565 | 588 | 567 | 538 | 688 | 494 | 507 |
| The Netherlands | 836 | 727 | 892 | 986 | 785 | 552 | 617 | 501 | ||
| Austria | 416 | 551 | 1024 | 503 | 404 | 670 | 497 | 532 | 504 | 408 |
| Switzerland | 896 | 570 | 832 | 1020 | 429 | 425 | 602 | 457 | 657 | 480 |
| Berlin | 331 | 235 | 491 | 360 | 436 | 361 | 368 | 257 | ||
| Munich | 238 | 200 | ||||||||
| Cologne | 370 | 345 | 598 | 273 | 320 | 435 | 643 | 308 | ||
| Rostock | 202 | 199 | ||||||||
| Sweden | 789 | 796 | 792 | 782 | ||||||
| Italy | 138 | 131 | 114 | 106 | 111 | 109 | 102 | 109 | 106 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | 1,174 | 463.5 |
| 2024 | 36 | 1,133 | 439.2 |
| 2023 | 33 | 1,156 | 450.6 |
| 2022 | 32 | 1,206 | 457.7 |
| 2021 | 38 | 1,194 | 435.7 |
| 2020 | 44 | 1,020 | 380.0 |
| 2019 | 41 | 1,157 | 413.1 |
| 2018 | 48 | 1,068 | 370.5 |
| 2017 | 55 | 1,020 | 341.0 |
| 2016 | 63 | 972 | 316.5 |
| 2015 | 69 | 832 | 270.2 |
| 2014 | 101 | 575 | 187.5 |
| 2013 | 130 | 411 | 133.2 |
| 2012 | 209 | 240 | 74.5 |
| 2011 | 255 | 191 | 59.4 |
| 2010 | 272 | 181 | 56.4 |
| 2009 | 328 | 135 | 43.1 |
| 2008 | 427 | 99 | 31.4 |
| 2007 | 515 | 72 | 23.5 |
| 2006 | 678 | 46 | 15.4 |
| 2005 | 562 | 59 | 20.5 |
| 2004 | 565 | 55 | 19.2 |
| 2003 | 583 | 50 | 17.9 |
| 2002 | 761 | 33 | 12.3 |
| 2001 | 796 | 30 | 11.2 |
| 2000 | 689 | 35 | 12.8 |
| 1999 | 752 | 30 | 10.6 |
| 1998 | 724 | 32 | 11.1 |
| 1997 | 750 | 31 | 10.6 |
| 1996 | 539 | 46 | 15.5 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Penelope in France since 1925 were born in or after 2007. First recorded in 1949. Her peak year there: 2010, at 61.5 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Penelope per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2010 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Penelope
1 in 184 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 140 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Penelope. Same first letter as Penelope.
1 in 127 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 728 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 240 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 373 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 483 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Penelope.
1 in 239 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Penelope.
Middle names for Penelope
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Penelope Charlotte
4-2 beats · initials PC
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Penelope Sophie
4-2 beats · initials PS
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Penelope Grace
4-1 beats · initials PG
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Penelope Maria
4-3 beats · initials PM
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 102 in Ireland
Penelope Mia
4-2 beats · initials PM
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
Penelope Ruby
4-2 beats · initials PR
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Penelope Rose
4-1 beats · initials PR
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Penelope Emily
4-3 beats · initials PE · Penelope slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Penelope: 4 syllables, then 3 syllables. Penelope slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Same style as Penelope
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 326 in England and Wales
95% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 118 in Ireland
95% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 184 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 124 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 240 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Penelope across countries and decades.
Famous people named Penelope
Penélope Cruz, Penelope Fitzgerald, Penelope Ann Miller, Penelope Lively, Penelope Wilton, Penelope Delta, Penelope Heyns and Penelope Coelen.
Show all 8Show less
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Spanish actress (born 1974)
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British writer and poet (1916–2000)
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American actress born 1964
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British novelist (born 1933)
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English actress born 1946
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Greek children's writer (1874–1941)
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Swimmer born 1974
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South African actress, model and beauty queen, crowned Miss World 1958 born 1940
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Penelope
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Penelope?
Her best rank is No. 33 in England and Wales in 2025, about 1 in 216 girls. She is in the published lists of 24 of our 40 regions.
What does Penelope mean?
Wiktionary glosses Penelope as "possibly duck".
How do you pronounce Penelope?
puh-NEL-uh-pee, with 4 syllables.
Is Penelope getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 9 of 22 regions, falling in 1.
Which sister names go with Penelope?
The deck's top five sisters for Penelope: Georgia, Phoebe, Chloe, Sophia and Stella. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.