Penelope: meaning and UK use

What does Penelope mean?

The reference offers a possible connection with a Greek word for a type of duck, and an alternative involving threads and face or eye. Weaver is not a settled literal translation.

Language or name family covered

Greek; etymology uncertain

Meaning or derivation

Meaning uncertain

Our browsing group

girl; vintage, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Penelope

Pronunciation and related forms

puh-NEL-uh-pee (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Penny, Pen. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Penelope?

In 2025, 1,174 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Penelope, making it the 33rd most popular girls’ name. That is up 3 places on 2024, when it ranked 36th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 69th, so it has climbed 36 places in a decade. Its best year in the ONS series was 2022, at 32nd. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

33rd

2025 registrations

1,174

Best rank in this series

32nd (2022)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Penelope: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	33	1,174
2024	36	1,133
2023	33	1,156
2022	32	1,206
2021	38	1,194
2020	44	1,020
2019	41	1,157
2018	48	1,068
2017	55	1,020
2016	63	972
2015	69	832
2014	101	575
2013	130	411
2012	209	240
2011	255	191
2010	272	181
2009	328	135
2008	427	99
2007	515	72
2006	678	46
2005	562	59
2004	565	55
2003	583	50
2002	761	33
2001	796	30
2000	689	35
1999	752	30
1998	724	32
1997	750	31
1996	539	46

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 14,283. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Selected hyphenated registrations starting with Penelope in 2025: Penelope-Rose: 10 (girls). This selection includes up to four matching forms with at least ten registrations, not every compound name.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Penelope

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Beatriceclassic, vintage · A form of Beatrix
• Claravintage, classic · Clear, bright or famous
• Evelynvintage, classic · From the given name Aveline
• Florencevintage, classic · Prosperous or flourishing
• Matildavintage, classic · Strength in battle
• Phoebeclassic, vintage · Bright or pure

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Penelope, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.