Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Pennelope isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1942. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Pennelope through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 399
- 0 boys · 399 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 30 babies
- 2025
- 13
- #8,234 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 13 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,234 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 34.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 30 in 2017. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 306 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Pennelope’s family of names
Pennelope may belong to the same name family as Penelope. This is a tentative spelling connection.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Pennelope
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Pennelope, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Evelynn
“a birdlike woman” · “a birdlike man”
>99% girls
Adelaide
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Piper
“one who plays the flute”
>99% girls
Adaline
“of the nobility; serene; of good humor”
>99% girls
Elodie
“a wealthy foreigner”
>99% girls
Elise
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Everleigh
“from the boar's meadow”
>99% girls
Poppy
“resembling the red flower”
>99% girls