Penny
Say it: PEN-ee/ˈpɛni/
Girl5 letters2 syllables
#156
in Ireland (2025)
30
babies in 2025
#82
best rank (2022)
736
babies since 1973
Down 10
10-year rank change
Penny through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #156 |
| 2024 | 35 | #132 |
| 2023 | 55 | #94 |
| 2022 | 66 | #82 |
| 2021 | 56 | #99 |
| 2020 | 63 | #85 |
| 2019 | 48 | #114 |
| 2018 | 58 | #105 |
| 2017 | 55 | #108 |
| 2016 | 54 | #110 |
| 2015 | 40 | #146 |
| 2014 | 38 | #154 |
| 2013 | 40 | #148 |
| 2012 | 27 | #208 |
| 2011 | 15 | #327 |
| 2010 | 19 | #277 |
| 2009 | 11 | #412 |
| 2008 | 7 | #548 |
| 2007 | 6 | #549 |
| 2004 | 5 | #511 |
| 2002 | 5 | #443 |
| 1973 | 3 | #508 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Penny mean?
Uncertain
English pet form of Penelope, the name of the wife of Odysseus in Greek legend.
Say it right
PENee
The story of Penny
Penny began as a pet form of Penelope, and it is now often given as a name in its own right. Penelope is best known from Homer’s Odyssey, as the wife who waits twenty years for Odysseus to come home. Where the name Penelope comes from is not settled, so the meaning is left as uncertain here.
Penny also shares its spelling with the everyday word for a coin, and with a surname and several small places in North America.
In Ireland it was almost unknown as a registered name until the 2000s. It rose quickly after 2010 and had its best year in 2022, with 66 girls and number 82. It has eased since, to number 156 in 2025. Northern Ireland followed a similar path, and its best year there was also 2022, when it reached 67th.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Penny (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Penny (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Penny | 30 | 736 |
In Northern Ireland
#111 in 2025 with 19 babies. Best rank #67 (2022); 331 babies since 2009.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.