Harriet vs Penelope
Harriet 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, Harriet was ranked #68 and Penelope #36 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Harriet was ranked #91 and Penelope #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Harriet was ranked #83 and Penelope #45 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Harriet was ranked #152 and Penelope #81 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Harriet was ranked #150 and Penelope #144 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Harriet was ranked #226 and Penelope #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Harriet and Penelope over time
Harriet and Penelope appear together in 5 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Penelope held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Harriet in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Harriet reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Penelope 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Penelope moved ahead of Harriet in England and Wales · Girls — #45 and #48 the year before became #49 and #41.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harriet and Penelope changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2008 and 2024, ending at #150 and #144.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harriet held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Penelope in 6.
Highest recorded here: Harriet #45 in 2018, Penelope #32 in 2022.
The order changed in 2019: Penelope moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #45 and #48; by 2019 that had become #49 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harriet #68, Penelope #36.
Republic of Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1967–2025
Harriet held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Penelope in 17.
Highest recorded here: Harriet #212 in 2023, Penelope #119 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harriet #226, Penelope #148.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2008–2024
Harriet held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Penelope in 6.
Highest recorded here: Harriet #107 in 2019, Penelope #99 in 2023.
The order changed in 2018: Penelope moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #122 and #134; by 2018 that had become #145 and #145.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harriet #150, Penelope #144.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 2013–2025
Harriet held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Penelope in 13.
Highest recorded here: Harriet #62 in 2020, Penelope #40 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harriet #91, Penelope #41.
New Zealand · Girls9 shared years, 2015–2023
Harriet held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Penelope in 7.
Highest recorded here: Harriet #52 in 2022, Penelope #45 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harriet #83, Penelope #45.
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 | Harriet | 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 | /pəˈnɛləpi/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #91 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #41 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Penelope has a recorded origin (Greek); Harriet does not have one recorded yet.
- Harriet has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Penelope.
- A meaning is recorded for Penelope; Harriet doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Harriet
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #213 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #45 among girls in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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