In your opinion, how popular is [name]Penelope[/name]… REALLY?
I took it off our list because I was worried it was too common, but now it’s all I can think of our baby being named.
I know a 1 year old with the name. It’s at 169 now. So it is common but not crazy popular or anything. I think by next year, it will have just cracked the top 100. I mean [name]Shelby[/name] was the 100 most popular name in my birth year…and I think there was only one [name]Shelby[/name] in my school growing up. I have yet to come across another. So honestly, I think you’re fine.
Never met a single one.
It’s rising but I doubt it’ll become the hot name that everybody uses.
I see it on loads of namelists, but I’ve yet to actually meat a [name]Penelope[/name]! The only [name]Penelope[/name] I “know” is [name]Kourtney[/name] K’s daughter
Never met a [name]Penelope[/name], but even if it becomes popular there are so many nicknames you can make it unique
[name]Don[/name]'t take it off your list just yet - it is so pretty, and I don’t see [name]Penelope[/name] becoming TOO popular anytime soon.
It’s definitely climbing. It was unranked in 2000, had climbed all the way to 169 by 2011, and it shows no sign of slowing down. It’s getting wider exposure now, too, since it was used by one of those tabloid darlings, the Kardashians. All the same, I don’t consider [name]Penelope[/name] a common name. [name]Even[/name] if it breaks into the top 100, that would only be about 3000 Penelopes spread out all over. That’s not very many, when you think about it.
It’s so hard to predict how many other Penelopes your [name]Penelope[/name] would run into. My friend and her husband deliberately picked a name that was just barely in the top 500 because didn’t want her daughter to have to share her name with a classmate. When she was three, another 3-year-old with the same name moved in just a few doors down! Unless one of the families moves, their girls are going to be in the same grade at the same small elementary school. In comparison, my son has top 15 name (now top 5) and has never had to share it with anyone in his classes. It’s a crapshoot. You never know.
This is my tl:dr way of saying stick with the name you love best, the name that feels right to you. Yes, [name]Penelope[/name] is far more popular than it used to be, but it has a long, long way to go before it becomes an epidemically common name.
I’m shocked and awed by the return of [name]Penelope[/name] (is it even a return? Has it [name]EVER[/name] been popular?) because [name]Penelope[/name] was that name we chose as kids whenever we needed a silly name, but I admit it does have spunk and charm. [name]Tina[/name] [name]Fey[/name] also named her daughter [name]Penelope[/name] ([name]Alice[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name]: great classic revivals) so there’s even more celebrity interest there. For whatever reason, despite what a hilarious goddess she is, no one actually seems too interested in [name]Tina[/name] [name]Fey[/name]'s personal life though. I doubt it will ever be a top 100 name.
I’m in the same boat as you! My SO and I started trying to concieve over 2 years ago and we both loved [name]Penelope[/name] for a girl. He loved that it was long and Greek and playful and sweet. Enter [name]Tina[/name] [name]Faye[/name] & [name]Kourtney[/name] Kardashian: now my SO has veto’d it!!! I think [name]Penny[/name] from Big Bang [name]Theory[/name] will give a boost to [name]Penelope[/name], too. I’m so torn. Part of me knows that a lot of people are going to use it but it feels like the “right” name in so many ways. My SO really doesn’t like the Kardashian connection and he’s worried about a girl growing up with the wrong roll models. I shake my fist at you, [name]Kourtney[/name] Kardashian!! I’m coming back around to wanting to use it anyway. The nice thing about [name]Penelope[/name] is there are SO many nicknames for it. [name]Even[/name] if you have the bad luck of having another [name]Penelope[/name] in your daughter’s class they can be [name]Penny[/name] & [name]Nellie[/name] or [name]Lola[/name] & [name]Poppy[/name]. I do think the popularity of it will continue to rise but I am less convinced that it will truely explode. I don’t know any babies who are actually named [name]Penelope[/name] besides the celebribabies. And one final really nice thing about [name]Penelope[/name]: you know [name]Kim[/name] Kardashian won’t use it. Good luck!
[name]Hi[/name] [name]Julia[/name],
I used the Social Security data as well as the 2010 CDC data to help illustrate how few Penelopes there actually are.
Let me explain:
The SSA doesn’t have data for 2012, so I found [name]Penelope[/name]'s rank at 2010 (200: 1,543 births) and 2011 (169: 1,847 births). Now the 2011 CDC preliminary data does not give the number of births in 2011, so I’m stuck using the 2010 CDC data, which gives the total number of births (3,999,386), as well as the male:female ratio (.512). The key assumption here is that the number of babies born will not have changed drastically from 2010 to 2013, which I think it’s a pretty reasonable assumption.
So of all the babies born in 2010, the percent of Penelopes is 1001,543/3,999,386 = 0.0386%. So that means there will be about 1 [name]Penelope[/name] in every group of 3000 babies. Not too bad.
Of all the girls born in 2010, the percent of Penelopes is 1001,543/(3999386*.488) = 0.079%. So if you get 1300 girls born in that year together, you’ll find about 1 [name]Penelope[/name] in the group.
For the 2011 ranking (169: 1847 births), you have 1001847/3999386 = 0.046%. [name]One[/name] [name]Penelope[/name] in every group of 2200 babies.
And, 1001847/(3999386*.488) = 0.0946%. [name]Just[/name] about 1 [name]Penelope[/name] in every group of 1100 girls.
So for argument’s sake, let’s assume that her elementary school class has 20 people in it: your daughter, and 19 other kids (9 other girls/10 boys). The chance that there will be another [name]Penelope[/name] in that group is 0.000946*9 = 0.0085.
If you can’t imagine your baby being named anything else other than [name]Penelope[/name], then I see absolutely no reason to strike it off your list. [name]Even[/name] if it breaks the top 100, the chances of her being one of two [name]Penelope[/name]'s in her class are less than double the previous statistic (so, less than 0.017).
[name]Hope[/name] that helps! It doesn’t get around the Kardashian association, but it might help with your concern about [name]Penelope[/name]'s popularity.
[name]Catherine[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] isn’t that popular.
I can’t get the image of [name]Sheldon[/name] on The Big Bang [name]Theory[/name] knocking on “[name]Penny[/name]'s” door and repeatedly saying/doing “[name]Penny[/name]” knock knock “[name]Penny[/name]” knock knock “[name]Penny[/name]” etc
Sorry about the memory, lol.
I know someone who named their daughter [name]Penelope[/name]. I believe she’s 4 or 5 years old.
It’s certainly on the rise. I don’t see it breaking the top 50 or so, but I definitely see it breaking the top 100. I only know one [name]Penelope[/name] due to be born soon, none anywhere else.
I live in an area with lots of young families and little kids, and have never encountered a [name]Penelope[/name].
I’ve never met a [name]Penelope[/name]! I think it’s safe to use. It is rising, but I doubt it will get very popular.
You didn’t need to do all that math, the SSA site has the percent of total births as an option instead of the number of births. According to them, [name]Penelope[/name] is 0.0962% of total female births. (I think we can exclude males safely)
You didn’t need to do all that math, the SSA site has the percent of total births as an option instead of the number of births. According to them, [name]Penelope[/name] is 0.0962% of total female births. (I think we can exclude males safely)
I don’t know any Penelopes, but I think it is a beautiful name which I think is lovely. And not too popular. I think [name]Penelope[/name] [name]Rose[/name] would be a great name.
I’m also seriously considering [name]Penelope[/name] for my little girl! My baby will be here before the 2011 stats come out but I really don’t think that this name appeals to everyone. Sure k kardashian used it but I don’t think it’s going to become the new top name for that reason. It probably will break the top 100 though.
I don’t know any personally, but I have seen tons of children named [name]Penelope[/name] in blogs, articles, etc. I don’t think it will be the next [name]Isabella[/name], but I think it will continue to rise until it is quite common.