Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Penn as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Penn

Add to my Name List

The baby name Penn is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced PEN (English: /pɛn/).

Penn is English, Welsh in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: English, Welsh
Pronunciation: PEN (English: /pɛn/)

What is the meaning of the name Penn ?

The baby name Penn is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced PEN (English: /pɛn/).

Penn is English, Welsh in Origin.

Penn is an English surname turned given name with roots in both Brythonic and Old English. From Welsh pen “head, top; hill,” it labels someone who lived by a prominent summit; alternatively it derives from Old English penn “enclosure, fold,” for someone near a livestock pen. The surname also came from places called Penn in Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire. Variant and related forms include Pen, Penne, Penney, and the nickname Penn from Pennington; feminine Penny overlaps by sound but is etymologically separate (from Penelope).

As a first name, Penn gained American currency in the 18th century among Quakers honoring statesman William Penn, then reemerged with the modern surname-as-given-name style. Today it reads crisp and minimalist, used mainly for boys yet flexible enough to be unisex. Its compact form and sturdy meanings - “hill; summit” or “from the pen/enclosure” - lend a grounded, outdoorsy feel.

Penn has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Penn

Penn Badgley Actor · Born 1986 · United States Penn Badgley is an American actor best known for his role as Joe Goldberg in the psychological thriller series 'You'. He gained fame earlier for playing Dan Humphrey on the popular TV show 'Gossip Girl'. Born in 1986, Penn has also appeared in films like 'Easy A'. Penn Jillette Actor|musician · Born 1955 · United States Penn Jillette is best known as one half of the magic duo Penn & Teller. He has also appeared in the television series 'Penn & Teller: Bullshit!' and has written books like 'God, No!' and 'Presto!'. In addition to his work in magic and television, he is a musician and has been involved in various projects in the United States since his birth in 1955.

Penn – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CM 0 #53 4 2,592
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
CN Boys 0 #310 10 9,639
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #352 3 12,352
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
CM Boys 0 #382 182 12,054
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
PH Girls 0 #425 5 13,098
CM Girls 0 #449 92 11,671
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
HK Boys 0 #553 5 12,905
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
SG Girls 0 #628 5 18,916
HK Girls 0 #647 4 16,104
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
CL Boys 0 #692 9 13,390
SG Boys 0 #734 6 17,960
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
United States Boys 2024 #851 42 7,044
United States Girls 2020 #911 7 8,768
CL Girls 0 #913 3 14,098
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
CO Boys 0 #978 4 15,656
MY Girls 0 #982 13 24,821
NG Boys 0 #1,000 2 16,906
MY Boys 0 #1,094 18 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,140 4 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,168 11 25,619
MA 0 #1,199 1 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,234 3 25,928
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,691 1 28,008

Penn is popular in 28 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
BH
BO
CL

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Penn

Penn is predominantly a boy's name.
Penn is a one syllable name, pronounced PEN (English: /pɛn/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Pen, Pennie and Penna.
Across languages, Penn has these equivalents: Pen (Welsh/Cornish root), Tor (Old English/Norse: hill), Monte/Mont (Romance roots: mountain).
Somewhat — Penn ranked #851 in United States in 2024, placing it just outside the most common names.
Penn's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #813 in 2014 to #851 in 2024 in United States.
Yes — 2 notable people named Penn are in our database, including Penn Badgley (Actor), Penn Jillette (Actor|musician).