Maya vs Penny
Maya 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Maya was ranked #15 and Penny #193 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Maya was ranked #19 and Penny #138 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Maya was ranked #40 and Penny #156 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Maya was ranked #47 and Penny #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Maya and Penny over time
Maya and Penny appear together in 3 published lists, across 66 years of shared records. Maya held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Penny in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Penny reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Maya 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
Maya and Penny changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2009 and 2024, ending at #47 and #134.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Maya #47 in 2024, Penny #67 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Maya held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Penny in 0.
Highest recorded here: Maya #15 in 2024, Penny #166 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maya #15, Penny #193.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2002–2025
Maya held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Penny in 0.
Highest recorded here: Maya #17 in 2024, Penny #82 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maya #40, Penny #156.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2009–2024
Maya held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Penny in 4.
Highest recorded here: Maya #47 in 2024, Penny #67 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maya #47, 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 | Maya | 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #40 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #156 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maya has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Penny.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Maya
Popularity journey
First recorded1961
First recorded at #497 among girls in Norway in 1961 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #53 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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