Esmee vs Penny
Esmee 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Esmee was ranked #524 and Penny #108 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Esmee was ranked #337 and Penny #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Esmee was ranked #476 and Penny #138 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Esmee was ranked #826 and Penny #193 among girls in England and Wales.
Esmee and Penny over time
Esmee and Penny appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Penny held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Esmee in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Esmee reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Penny in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Esmee and Penny changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #826 and #193.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Esmee held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Penny in 22.
Highest recorded here: Esmee #185 in 2015, Penny #166 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Esmee #826, Penny #193.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2009–2024
Esmee held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Penny in 10.
Highest recorded here: Esmee #209 in 2015, Penny #67 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Esmee #337, Penny #134.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Esmee | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #337 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #156 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Esmee and Penny both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Esmee
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #974 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #185 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #826 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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