Penny
A feminine name of Germanic origin meaning "little one" or "weaver".
Name Census estimates that about 76,287 living Americans carry the first name Penny. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Penny today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Penny births was 1963 (5,141 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Penny. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Penny is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 384 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
76K
~ 1 in 4,493 Americans
Peak year
1963
5,141 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1974 SSA rank
#747
Tracked since 1882
Gender
Gender distribution for Penny
Out of the 100,631 babies given the name Penny since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Penny as a male name
- Ranked #4,506 in 1974
- 7 male births in 1974
- Peak: 1962 (26 births)
Penny as a female name
- Ranked #747 in 2024
- 376 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1963 (5,127 births)
Popularity
Penny: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Penny from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 38,351 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Penny by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Penny during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pennys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Ohio, Illinois recorded the most babies named Penny, while Alaska, Rhode Island, Nevada recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,891 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Penny
The name Penny is derived from the English word "penning" or "pening," which was a medieval term for a small amount of money, specifically a penny. The name's origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Norman period in England, around the 11th to 13th centuries.
In medieval times, a penny was a significant sum, and the name Penny likely emerged as a nickname or a term of endearment for someone small, precious, or valuable. It was initially used as a surname before transitioning to a feminine given name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Penny as a given name dates back to the 16th century. In 1558, a woman named Penny Darwent was born in Yorkshire, England. Her name appears in parish records from that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Penny. One of the most famous is Penny Chenery (1922-2017), the American businesswoman and horse breeder who owned the legendary racehorse Secretariat. Chenery's determination and success in the male-dominated world of horse racing made her a pioneering figure.
Another notable Penny is Penny Marshall (1943-2018), the American actress, director, and producer. She starred in the popular television series Laverne & Shirley and directed successful films like Big and A League of Their Own.
In the realm of literature, Penny Vincenzi (1939-2018) was a popular English novelist known for her family sagas and romantic fiction. Her novels, such as An Absolute Scandal and No Angel, were bestsellers.
The name Penny also has historical connections to the world of sports. Penny Oleksiak (born 2000) is a Canadian swimmer who won four medals, including one gold, at the 2016 Rio Olympics at the age of 16, making her one of Canada's youngest Olympic champions.
Another notable figure is Penny Mordaunt (born 1973), a British politician and the current Leader of the House of Commons. She has held various cabinet positions and is known for her work on issues related to the armed forces and equality.
While the name Penny may have humble origins, it has been borne by a diverse array of influential and accomplished individuals throughout history, reflecting its enduring appeal and versatility.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Penny
People
Penny + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Penny as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Penny: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Penny?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 76,287 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Penny going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,493 US residents.
Is Penny a common name?
We classify Penny as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 100,631 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Penny most popular?
The single biggest year for Penny was 1963, when 5,141 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Penny is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Penny a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Penny in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.