Penelope
Meaning of Penelope
Penelope (puh-NEL-uh-pee) sails in from ancient Greece, where Homer cast her as Odysseus’s famously resourceful wife—a woman who kept would-be suitors at bay by weaving and unweaving a shroud, night after night, until her true love returned. Fittingly, scholars link the name to the Greek word for “weaver,” though some trace it to “pene” (thread) and “ops” (face), while others wink at an older term for “wild duck.” Either way, Penelope carries a sense of clever patience wrapped in a whisper of whimsy. Fast-forward to modern nurseries, and this mythic heroine is enjoying a blockbuster encore: after hovering near obscurity for decades, she’s now cozy in the American Top 30, buoyed by pop-culture nods from Penélope Cruz to Bridgerton’s quick-witted miss Featherington. Parents love that Penelope feels timeless yet fresh, formal yet nickname-friendly—think Penny, Nell, Poppy, or even Pip. All told, it’s a name that stitches classical elegance to playful charm, promising a lifetime of stories just waiting to unfold.
Pronunciation
British English
- Pronunced as puh-NEL-uh-pee (/pəˈnɛlipi/)
American English
- Pronunced as puh-NEL-uh-pee (/pəˈnɛlɪpi/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Penelope
| Penelope Jane Leach is a British psychologist known for her influential work on child development and parenting. |
| Dame Penelope Wilton is an English actress. |
| Penelope Scott is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. |
| Penelope Ann Miller is an American actress who moved from Broadway to films like The Freshman, Awakenings, and Kindergarten Cop, earning Golden Globe and Tony nominations. |
| British author Dame Penelope Margaret Lively writes fiction for children and adults and has won both the Booker Prize and the Carnegie Medal. |
| Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is a British aristocrat married to Norton Knatchbull, the 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and has served as High Steward of Romsey since 2010. |
| British playwright Penelope Skinner rose to prominence with her acclaimed 2008 play Fucked and has had work staged at the Bush, National and Royal Court theatres in London. |
| Penelope Tree is an English fashion model who rose to prominence in 1960s London. |
| Penelope Anne Coelen is a South African former actress, model, and beauty queen who won Miss World 1958, becoming the second major international titleholder from Africa. |
| Penelope Brudenell, Countess of Cardigan, was the wife of the 6th Earl of Cardigan and served as a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. |
| Penélope Cruz - Penelope Cruz Sanchez is a celebrated Spanish actress prolific in Spanish and English films, with an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a David di Donatello Award, and three Goya Awards. |
