Fia vs Penelope
Fia and Penelopecompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Fia was ranked #918 and Penelope #36 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Fia was ranked #476 and Penelope #81 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Fia was ranked #253 and Penelope #144 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Fia was ranked #239 and Penelope #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Fia and Penelope over time
Fia and Penelope appear together in 3 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Penelope held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Fia in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Penelope reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Fia in 1. 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
Fia and Penelope changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2002 and 2025, ending at #239 and #148.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Fia #832 in 2023, Penelope #32 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 1996–2024
Fia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Penelope in 22.
Highest recorded here: Fia #832 in 2023, Penelope #32 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fia #918, Penelope #36.
Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2002–2025
Fia held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Penelope in 8.
Highest recorded here: Fia #136 in 2017, Penelope #119 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fia #239, Penelope #148.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 2012–2024
Fia held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Penelope in 11.
Highest recorded here: Fia #253 in 2024, Penelope #99 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fia #253, Penelope #144.
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 | Fia | Penelope |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The origin is disputed: one proposed origin ties it to a word for 'thread on the bobbin' (related to weaving and cloth); a second proposed origin derives it from a term for a duck or wild goose with a coloured neck. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /pəˈnɛləpi/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #239 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #41 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Penelope has a recorded origin (Greek); Fia does not have one recorded yet.
- Fia has 1 syllable, compared with 4 for Penelope.
- A meaning is recorded for Penelope; Fia doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Fia
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 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 recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #136 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017 (recorded 1998–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #239 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Penelope
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls