Penn
Every Penn since 1915 — 1,230 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Penn
Penn is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,706 in 2025 with 48 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1915, 1,230 American babies have been named Penn. Its peak came in 2020, when 80 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Penn stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Penn year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 48 | #2,706 |
| 2024 | — | — | 42 | #2,990 |
| 2023 | — | — | 69 | #2,121 |
| 2022 | — | — | 54 | #2,551 |
| 2021 | — | — | 64 | #2,215 |
| 2020 | 7 | #13,134 | 73 | #1,973 |
| 2019 | 5 | #17,399 | 67 | #2,145 |
| 2018 | — | — | 49 | #2,606 |
| 2017 | — | — | 61 | #2,211 |
| 2016 | — | — | 64 | #2,159 |
| 2015 | 10 | #10,693 | 56 | #2,344 |
| 2014 | — | — | 79 | #1,869 |
| 2013 | — | — | 53 | #2,389 |
| 2012 | — | — | 46 | #2,666 |
| 2011 | — | — | 34 | #3,288 |
| 2010 | — | — | 30 | #3,607 |
| 2009 | — | — | 32 | #3,457 |
| 2008 | — | — | 22 | #4,501 |
| 2007 | — | — | 14 | #6,182 |
| 2006 | — | — | 10 | #7,858 |
| 2005 | — | — | 10 | #7,517 |
| 2004 | — | — | 7 | #9,680 |
| 2003 | — | — | 8 | #8,430 |
| 2002 | — | — | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — | 9 | #7,361 |
| 2000 | — | — | 7 | #8,888 |
| 1995 | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — | 5 | #7,311 |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | 5 | #5,253 |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | 5 | #4,252 |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | 5 | #3,658 |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | 5 | #4,416 |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | 5 | #4,808 |
| 1915 | — | — | 7 | #3,317 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Penn
- Penn Nouth Politician · 1906–1985
- Penn Badgley Actor · b. 1986
- Penn Jillette Magician · b. 1955
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Penn in 2025?
Penn ranked #2,706 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 48 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Penn?
1,230 babies have been named Penn in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Penn most popular?
Penn peaked in 2020, when 80 newborns received the name.
Is Penn a boy or girl name?
Penn is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 98% of babies with the name.
Is the name Penn rising or falling?
Penn has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Penn?
Well-known people named Penn include Penn Nouth (politician), Penn Badgley (actor), Penn Jillette (magician).