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Penelope

Quick answerThe name Penelope derives from ancient Greek roots, combining "pene" (thread/weaver's bobbin) and "ops" (face/eye), literally meaning "weaver" or "one with a weaver's face," reflecting its association with textile work in classical antiquity.

Greek Mythology · Girl · 3 syllables

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Top 50

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#22
TrendStable
Peak year2019
Syllables3
OriginGreek Mythology
LanguageGreek Mythology
CultureGreek Mythology, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
ReligionChristian
Letters8
Numerology7 Chaldean 1
Global rank#22

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Penelope

The name Penelope derives from ancient Greek roots, combining "pene" (thread/weaver's bobbin) and "ops" (face/eye), literally meaning "weaver" or "one with a weaver's face," reflecting its association with textile work in classical antiquity.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name Penelope derives from ancient Greek roots, combining "pene" (thread/weaver's bobbin) and "ops" (face/eye), literally meaning "weaver" or "one with a weaver's face," reflecting its association with textile work in classical antiquity. The name is predominantly used in Western Christian cultures and modern secular societies, originating from Greek mythology where Penelope was the faithful wife of Odysseus in Homer's epics, making her an enduring symbol of marital fidelity in Western literature.

Penelope currently ranks #22 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2019.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

Greek Mythology, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese names that sit beautifully beside Penelope

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Names that sound like Penelope

Phonetic match, not just spelling
Penelope-Rae
Girl Greek and Hebrew

"Penelope-Rae combines the Greek name Penelope, meaning "weaver" or "bobbin" (from pēnē, a weaving shuttle), with the English name Rae,…"

Global rank #4,535 View name
Penelope-Rose
Girl Greek and Latin

"Penelope-Rose combines two names: Penelope derives from Greek *pēnelóps*, meaning "weaver" or possibly "duck," while Rose comes from the Latin…"

Global rank #4,844 View name
Penelope-Jane
Girl Greek-Hebrew

"Penelope derives from Greek "pēnélops," possibly meaning "weaver" or "duck," while Jane is the English feminine form of Janus, ultimately…"

Global rank #5,670 View name
Penelope-Grace
Girl Greek and Latin

"Penelope derives from the Greek name Πηνελόπεια (Penelopeia), meaning "weaver" or possibly "duck," from pene (thread) and lops (face/appearance), while…"

Global rank #5,892 View name
Pennelope
Girl Greek

"Penelope derives from the Greek name Πηνελόπεια (Penelopeia), likely composed of "pene" (thread/weaving) and "ops" (face/appearance), meaning "weaver" or possibly…"

Global rank #8,234 View name
Peneloperose
Girl Greek/English

"Peneloperose combines "Penelope," derived from Greek *pene* (thread/weaver) and *ops* (face/appearance), with "rose," the English flower name, creating a compound…"

Global rank #11,678 View name
Penellope
Girl Greek

"Penellope is a variant spelling of Penelope, derived from the Greek name Πηνελόπεια (Penelopeia), likely meaning "weaver" or "bobbin" from…"

Global rank #12,868 View name
Penelopi
Girl Greek

"Penelopi is the Greek form of Penelope, derived from the Greek elements "pene" (thread/weaving) and "ops" (face/appearance), literally meaning "weaver"…"

Global rank #12,869 View name
Penelopie
Girl Greek

"Penelopie is a variant spelling of Penelope, derived from the Greek name Penélópē (Πενελόπεια), which likely means "weaver" or possibly…"

Global rank #14,887 View name
Penelopea
Girl Greek

"Penelopea is a variant of Penelope, derived from the Greek name Penelópe (Πηνελόπεια), likely meaning "weaver" or "duck," from Greek…"

Global rank #15,777 View name
Penelopy
Girl Greek

"Penelopy is a variant spelling of Penelope, derived from the Greek name Πηνελόπεια (Penelope), likely from Greek elements meaning "weaver"…"

Global rank #17,023 View name
Penelopee
Girl Greek

"Penelopee is a variant spelling of Penelope, which derives from the Greek name Πηνελόπεια (Penelopeia), likely meaning "weaver" or possibly…"

Global rank #17,174 View name
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