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Penny as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Penny

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The baby name Penny is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɛni/ (PEN-ee).

Penny is English in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈpɛni/ (PEN-ee)

What is the meaning of the name Penny ?

The baby name Penny is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɛni/ (PEN-ee).

Penny is English in Origin.

Penny is an English pet form of Penelope, from Greek Pēnelopē. In myth, Penelope is Odysseus’s steadfast wife; the name is traditionally explained as “duck,” though English usage also associates it with weaving and fidelity. As a standalone given name, Penny emerged in the late 19th and took off mid-20th century in Britain and the United States, giving it a jaunty, midcentury feel with a modern revival.

Variants include Pennie, Penni, and Peni; short forms are Pen and Penn. In other languages the root appears as Pénélope (French) and Penélope (Spanish), but Penny remains chiefly English. Pop-culture visibility - from the Beatles’ “Penny Lane” to figures like Penny Marshall, Penny Wong, and Penny Mordaunt - has kept it familiar. The name also echoes the English coin (Old English penig), adding a bright, everyday warmth. Overall meaning: linked to Penelope, “duck/weaver; faithful.”

Penny has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Penny

Penny Marshall Actor · Born 1943 · United States Penny Marshall was an American actress and director best known for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the TV show 'Laverne & Shirley'. She also directed popular films like 'Big' and 'A League of Their Own'. Her work in both acting and directing made her a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Penny Johnson Jerald Actor · Born 1961 · United States Penny Johnson Jerald is an American actor best known for her role as Captain Victoria Gates on the TV series Castle. She also gained recognition for her performances in 24 as Sherry Palmer and in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Kasidy Yates. Penny Singleton Actor · Born 1908 · United States Penny Singleton was an American actor best known for her role as Blondie Bumstead in the Blondie film series. She starred in 28 films based on the popular comic strip from 1938 to 1950. Singleton also provided the voice for Jane Jetson in the animated series The Jetsons.

Penny – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
BW 0 #18 2 960
NA Girls 0 #21 449 7,146
NA 0 #21 13 2,537
BN 0 #30 3 2,297
MV Girls 0 #34 2 2,021
ID 0 #38 2 2,238
MO 0 #38 15 2,706
CY 0 #53 8 1,632
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
CN 0 #68 18 3,857
GR Girls 0 #69 239 6,293
TW 0 #72 29 4,523
GR 0 #80 57 3,911
CY Girls 0 #92 30 3,755
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
BN Girls 0 #96 11 5,459
TW Girls 0 #96 219 8,139
ID Girls 0 #98 5 3,319
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
Sweden Girls 2022 #108 75 1,568
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
BW Girls 0 #136 13 4,216
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
CN Girls 0 #143 292 8,829
CR 0 #148 11 5,526
MT Girls 0 #150 4 3,773
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
MO Girls 0 #167 87 7,056
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
HR 0 #179 3 2,081
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #183 5 10,220
MY Girls 0 #183 1,957 24,821
LU Girls 0 #187 4 4,850
MO Boys 0 #187 37 5,842
MY 0 #187 152 12,352
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
SG 0 #208 62 11,010
NA Boys 0 #222 14 6,830
TW Boys 0 #222 20 7,111
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
BG Girls 0 #229 3 3,559
Canada Girls 2024 #244 42 2,795
HK 0 #244 107 8,483
JM Girls 0 #247 13 7,507
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
SG Girls 0 #262 392 18,916
HK Girls 0 #271 477 16,104
NG 0 #271 2 5,926
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
IL 0 #275 8 6,291
JM Boys 0 #290 4 6,876
HR Girls 0 #291 4 3,687
ZA 0 #291 157 14,421
HK Boys 0 #296 290 12,905
QA Girls 0 #300 17 15,378
CN Boys 0 #301 19 9,639
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
DK Girls 0 #322 8 7,429
ZA Girls 0 #326 1,844 25,928
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
GH Girls 0 #332 6 6,973
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CZ Girls 0 #348 4 5,378
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
PH Girls 0 #360 31 13,098
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
OM Girls 0 #382 15 15,987
YE 0 #397 2 8,639
France Girls 2021 #402 4 3,185
MX 0 #402 12 8,339
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
Spain 0 #439 14 2,326
PT Girls 0 #464 8 7,952
PA Girls 0 #470 12 9,861
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
CR Girls 0 #483 50 11,342
RU Girls 0 #489 10 11,913
KW Girls 0 #500 16 19,177
PS Girls 0 #500 24 10,981
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
AE Girls 0 #513 41 20,968
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
UY Girls 0 #532 5 6,731
GT Girls 0 #539 3 7,500
IR Girls 0 #541 5 8,334
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
United States Girls 2024 #562 376 8,487
IR Boys 0 #562 4 10,162
CM Boys 0 #571 5 12,054
BH 0 #583 5 17,937
AR Girls 0 #588 12 8,289
IL Girls 0 #588 30 11,648
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
BO Girls 0 #647 5 9,488
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
IT 0 #673 42 4,183
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #703 36 3,895
SG Boys 0 #731 9 17,960
NG Girls 0 #745 42 15,093
Germany Girls 0 #783 56 4,949
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
KW Boys 0 #804 3 18,755
CL Girls 0 #836 16 14,098
NL Girls 0 #851 105 5,933
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
SA Girls 0 #910 26 25,931
Spain Girls 0 #916 68 5,561
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
EG Boys 0 #922 4 15,035
NG Boys 0 #930 22 16,906
PE Girls 0 #931 13 14,861
CO Boys 0 #981 1 15,656
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,003 7 14,742
ZA Boys 0 #1,012 167 25,619
MX Boys 0 #1,026 8 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,077 35 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,114 70 17,781
AE Boys 0 #1,142 2 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
IT Girls 0 #1,158 291 9,415
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,197 15 19,440
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,432 40 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,602 13 28,008

Penny is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States
Ireland
Sweden

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

People also ask about Penny

Penny is predominantly a girl's name.
Penny is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈpɛni/ (PEN-ee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Pennie, Penni and Penney.
Yes, very popular — Penny ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Penny ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Penny's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 3 notable people named Penny are in our database, including Penny Marshall (Actor), Penny Johnson Jerald (Actor), Penny Singleton (Actor).