Penelope is a distinctive girls' name in United States, ranking #1835 in 1996 with 80 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2019 with 6,733 births ranking #22. In 1996, approximately 1 in every 21,912 girls born was named Penelope. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
Penelope is a graceful Greek classic with a long literary and mythological history. Its exact original meaning is uncertain, which is worth stating plainly rather than forcing a neat answer.
Best known from Greek mythology and later classical literature, Penelope has remained admired for its intelligence, elegance, and rich nickname options. Its modern popularity shows how mythic names can feel very wearable.