Penny

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Penny: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Penny: Recorded since 1973, with a gap of 22 years, it reached #67 in 2022, and it stood at #156 in 2025.

4registrars recorded it
68times a registrar ranked it
53years from first to last
#67highest recorded position
12groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Penny's record

Absent from every published list for 22 years inside its own recorded period, then ranked again. Names by longest absence

Region

Rising

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#400
1997	#506
1998	#437
1999	#529
2000	#519
2001	#579
2002	#722
2003	#607
2004	#655
2005	#824
2006	#976
2007	#716
2008	#580
2009	#543
2010	#396
2011	#398
2012	#308
2013	#254
2014	#208
2015	#183
2016	#178
2017	#176
2018	#198
2019	#173
2020	#166
2021	#178
2022	#196
2023	#194
2024	#193

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

RisingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 22 of the 53 years from 1973 to 2025.

In 2024: #130 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #134 among girls in Northern Ireland, #138 among girls in Scotland, #193 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 1973–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

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

Penny appears in 3 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is England and Wales · Girls, with 29 ranked years and 4,394 births registered; the earliest is Republic of Ireland · Girls, from 1973.

Penny across 3 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Penny's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#508 (1973)	#82 (2022)	#156 (2025)	22 of 53	736 (1973–2025)	66 (2022)
England and Wales · Girls	#400 (1996)	#166 (2020)	#193 (2024)	29 of 29	4,394 (1996–2024)	305 (2016)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#309 (2009)	#67 (2022)	#134 (2024)	16 of 16	312 (2009–2024)	32 (2022)

Penny by decade in England and Wales · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Penny in England and Wales · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1990s	258	4 of 10	65
2000s	478	10 of 10	48
2010s	2,297	10 of 10	230
2020sbusiest	1,361	5 of 10	272

Across England and Wales · Girls, the 2020s were its busiest decade — the 5 years of it this list covers, averaging 272 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 2013 and 2014, when recorded births rose by 69, from 190 to 259.

See the names England and Waleshas recorded the most births with →

Penny appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1973 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #67 in Northern Ireland in 2022.

Penny's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	female	#193	251	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	female	#194	256	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	female	#196	262	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	female	#178	288	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	female	#166	304	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	female	#173	294	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#198	260	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#176	305	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#178	305	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#183	301	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#208	259	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#254	190	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#308	156	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#398	115	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#396	112	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#543	72	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#580	65	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#716	47	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#976	29	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#824	34	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#655	45	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#607	48	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#722	36	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#579	47	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#519	55	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#529	54	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#437	69	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#506	54	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#400	81	High	Verified
2024	Northern Ireland	female	#134	15	High	Verified
2023	Northern Ireland	female	#102	20	High	Verified
2022	Northern Ireland	female	#67	32	High	Verified
2021	Northern Ireland	female	#71	31	High	Verified
2020	Northern Ireland	female	#95	22	High	Verified
2019	Northern Ireland	female	#98	22	High	Verified
2018	Northern Ireland	female	#98	25	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	female	#77	30	High	Verified
2016	Northern Ireland	female	#88	29	High	Verified
2015	Northern Ireland	female	#129	18	High	Verified
2014	Northern Ireland	female	#106	23	High	Verified
2013	Northern Ireland	female	#124	18	High	Verified
2012	Northern Ireland	female	#297	6	High	Verified
2011	Northern Ireland	female	#207	9	High	Verified
2010	Northern Ireland	female	#258	7	High	Verified
2009	Northern Ireland	female	#309	5	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	female	#156	30	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	female	#130	35	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	female	#93	55	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	female	#82	66	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	female	#98	56	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	female	#83	63	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	female	#114	48	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	female	#103	58	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	female	#108	55	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	female	#110	54	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	female	#146	40	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	female	#154	38	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	female	#148	40	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	female	#208	27	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	female	#325	15	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	female	#276	19	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	female	#410	11	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	female	#546	7	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#549	6	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	female	#511	5	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#443	5	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	female	#508	3	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	female	#138	32	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 4 registrars between 1973 and 2025, ranked in 31 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #67, first reached in 2022.

It held a top-100 place in 8 years, 8 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 305 births, registered in England and Wales in 2016.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 22 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 51 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Peniel · #2211, 18y
Pennie · #355, 19y
Peony · #1505, 19y
Pepper · #2201, 20y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 4 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Darcie · #66, 30y
Lexie · #68, 30y
Ottilie · #69, 30y
Zach · #65, 32y

Also first recorded in the 1970s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1970 and 1979.

Jody · #67, 45y
Alanna · #66, 48y
Aoibhin · #68, 36y
Erle · #64, 44y

Penny was ranked #67 in Northern Ireland · Girls in 2022. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Penny and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Penny without appearing here.

Penny moved ahead of

Jude Compare
In 2011 they stood at #508 and #349 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2012 that had become #208 and #907.
Suzanne Compare
In 2005 they stood at #824 and #745 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2006 that had become #976 and #1585.
Ida Compare
In 2008 they stood at #546 and #546 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2009 that had become #410 and #893.
Marianne Compare
In 2008 they stood at #546 and #469 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2009 that had become #410 and #893.

Moved ahead of Penny

Ivy Compare
In 2004 they stood at #655 and #758 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2005 that had become #824 and #494.
Elsie Compare
In 2001 they stood at #579 and #627 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2002 that had become #722 and #513.
Isla Compare
In 2006 they stood at #443 and #512 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2007 that had become #549 and #404.
Mila Compare
In 2010 they stood at #396 and #616 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2011 that had become #398 and #261.

Moved the opposite way to Penny

Audrey Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 while Audrey went from #47 to #885.
Eileen Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 while Eileen went from #46 to #443.
Ida Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 while Ida went from #508 to #885.
Martina Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 while Martina went from #15 to #325.

Moved the same way as Penny

Abigail Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 and Abigail from #374 to #115.
Alexandra Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 and Alexandra from #271 to #141.
Alice Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 and Alice from #140 to #41.
Anna Compare
Between 1973 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Penny went from #508 to #156 and Anna from #64 to #26.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1973 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #67 in Northern Ireland in 2022. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Penny

Penny at a glance

What stands out in Penny's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Penny across 3 official records

Penny by decade in England and Wales · Girls

Penny appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1970s

Names published alongside Penny

Penny and the names beside it

Penny moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Penny

Moved the opposite way to Penny

Moved the same way as Penny

Penny at a glance

What stands out in Penny's record

Penny across 3 official records

Penny by decade in England and Wales · Girls

Penny appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1970s

Names published alongside Penny

Penny and the names beside it

Penny moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Penny

Moved the opposite way to Penny

Moved the same way as Penny