Penelope
Origin of the name Penelope:
Derived from mthe Greek Pēnelopē, a name bornee in Greek mythology by Odysseus' wife, who, for twenty years, patiently awaited his return. The etymology of the name is debated. Some believe it is derived from the Greek penelops (a kind of duck), since Penelope was said to have been exposed to die as an infant and was fed and protected by a duck. Others think it might be derived from pēnē (thread on a bobbin) and give it the definition "weaver, worker of the loom," for Penelope spent evenings weaving and unweaving while she waited for her husband to return.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman. Buy the bookDoes Penelope sound...
Sibling Names for Penelope...
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Reader Contributions
Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Penelope!
- Comments and insights on the name Penelope: | Edit
Taylor Hanson, of the band Hanson, named his daughter (born 2005) Penelope.
- Personal experiences with the name Penelope: | Edit
My daughter (born 2008) is named Penelope. Everyone always loves her name. We call her Penny and Pen-pen.
- Nicknames for Penelope: | Edit
Penny, Penn, Pip, Nellie, Nell, Ellie, Poppy, Pen pen
- Meanings and history of the name Penelope: | Edit
Greek "weaver"
- Famous real-life people named Penelope: | Edit
Penelope Cruz actress
- Penelope in song, story & screen: | Edit
Penelope movie starring Christina Ricci as a girl with a pig nose
"Penelope" was the wife of Odysseus who waited faithfully for his return in The Odyssey
Penelope "Punky" Brewster, character on the eponymous '80s children's sitcom
Penelope Pitstop, from old Wacky Racers cartoons and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
Penelope (Penny) is a character on Lost.
Penelope Garcia, from Criminal Minds
Penelope Clearwater, Harry Potter character
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, hit television show Thunderbirds
"Penny" is a character on Big Bang Theory
NameVoyager US Popularity of Penelope Over Time
NameMapper Current Popularity of Penelope by State
Global Popularity of the Name Penelope
- #123 in Canada (Quebec)
- #358 in United States
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