Names like Penelope

In 2025, 6,225 girls born in the US were named Penelope, #22 among girls' names.

It was in the top 1,000 as early as 1880, dropped out, and has been back every year since 2001.

Its best rank was #21, in 2022.

The most births in one year were 6,734, in 2019.

Births rose 5% from 5,953 in 2015.

For 9 of the 12 names below, the current unbroken run in the top 1,000 began in 1996 or later (Penelope's began in 2001).

Penelope's rank every ten years

1. 1880
   #817
2. 1890
   —
3. 1900
   —
4. 1910
   —
5. 1920
   #976
6. 1930
   —
7. 1940
   #299
8. 1950
   #304
9. 1960
   #545
10. 1970
    #566
11. 1980
    —
12. 1990
    —
13. 2000
    —
14. 2010
    #200
15. 2020
    #26
16. 2025
    #22

— outside the top 1,000

12 girl names with a similar curve

How this list was made

We compared Penelope's rank in every year from 1880 to 2025 with every other girl's name in the 2025 top 1,000 (US Social Security birth records); the closest curves come first. Years outside the top 1,000 count the same however far outside, years since 1995 count four times as much, and each name appears in one spelling.