Eileen vs Penny

Eileen and Pennycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Eileen was ranked #446 and Penny #71 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Eileen was ranked #638 and Penny #138 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Eileen was ranked #443 and Penny #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eileen was ranked #855 and Penny #193 among girls in England and Wales.

Eileen and Penny over time

Eileen and Penny appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Penny held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Eileen in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eileen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Penny in 29.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #855 in 2024, Penny #166 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eileen #855, Penny #193.
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1973–2025
Eileen held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Penny in 15.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #46 in 1973, Penny #82 in 2022.
The order changed in 2012: Penny moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #266 and #325; by 2012 that had become #677 and #208.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eileen #443, Penny #156.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Eileen

Pairs where Eileen shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Geraldine vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #9 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2021 they were #883 and #322.
Geraldine · Eileen · 51 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Republic of Ireland ranking
Pauline vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #12 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2018 they were #896 and #336.
Pauline · Eileen · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2018 Republic of Ireland ranking
Eileen vs Carmel
In 1964 they stood at #17 and #21 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2015 they were #362 and #896.
Eileen · Carmel · 46 shared years, 1964–2015 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2015 Republic of Ireland ranking
Deirdre vs Eileen
In 1964 they stood at #14 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2019 they were #871 and #421.
Deirdre · Eileen · 51 shared years, 1964–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2019 Republic of Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Eileen, Penny
Field	Eileen	Penny
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	female
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Origin	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Girls #156 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Eileen and Penny both have 2 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Eileen

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls

Penny

Popularity journey

First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2009–2024
Highest recorded position: #67 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls