Meaning & origin
What it means
Penny is a diminutive of Penelope. Penelope possibly goes back to a word meaning “duck.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
In English use, Penny is a diminutive of Penelope. A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Penny is a diminutive of Penelope. The history of Penelope gives this family its wider story. In mythological stories, Penelope is associated with the faithful wife of Odysseus.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Penny through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 101,003
- 384 boys · 100,619 girls
- Most popular year
- 1963
- 5,143 babies
- 2025
- 368
- #740 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +5%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 368 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 740 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 5.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,129 in 1963. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (35). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 81,497 as a first name in 2020; 9,425 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Penny’s family of names
In English usage, Penny is a diminutive of Penelope. In English usage, Penny has a conventional equivalent in the Russian form Пенни. Penny is an affectionate form of Penelope.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Penny has relatives in 3 languages.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Penny
- Penny MordauntBritish politician (born 1973)
- Penny HardawayAmerican basketball player and coachborn 1971
- Penny Johnson JeraldAmerican actressborn 1961
- Penny OleksiakCanadian swimmer (2000-)
- Penny PritzkerAmerican billionaire businesswoman (born 1959)
- Penny WongAustralian politicianborn 1968
- Penny TaylorAustralian basketball player (born 1981)
- Penny SingletonAmerican actress (1908-2003)
- Penny Pitoualpine skierborn 1938
Characters named Penny: Penny Widmore (character of the American TV show Lost).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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