Penelope
“Either "weaver" or a kind of duck”
The alphabet
Names that begin
with P
1,883 P names on the record since 1880 — 39 of them in today's top 1000, with the girls well ahead. Tap + on any name to build a shortlist as you browse.
the tall loop
1,883
IAll 1,883 · one place · no pages
Every P name
Ranked by current US popularity, down to spellings given to five babies in a year. Search, filter, and tap + to keep the ones worth arguing about.
Paisley
“Most likely 'church”
Parker
“keeper of the park”
Parker
“keeper of the park”
Piper
“pipe player”
Peter
“a rock”
Patrick
“nobleman”
Paul
“small”
31 names — the full letter, top 8 aboveall 1,883 load once · no pages
Ranks are today’s national standing; “ever” counts every baby recorded with that spelling since 1880. Every name links to its full history and meaning.
IIRead before you shortlist
What the letter is telling you
The leader
Penelope carries the letter.
#22 in the country — no P name, girl or boy, sits higher. It reads “Either "weaver" or a kind of duck.”
The lean
P leans girl.
22 girl names in today's top 1000 against 17 for boys — a clear but modest edge in the girls' favor.
The crossovers
Four names go both ways.
Parker, Peyton, Palmer, Phoenix chart for both girls and boys. to see them all.
P through the decades
P names among each decade’s 200 chart spots1880s2020s
The 1940s were P’s best decade — 11 of the era’s 200 chart spots (top 100 girls + top 100 boys), led by Patricia and Paul.
Girls Boys · counted from every US birth certificate filed since 1880
IIIFrom below the radar
Quietly excellent, letter P
Names our records love that most shortlists miss — real, recorded, and nowhere near overused.
Poppy#292
“The poppy flower” — on a steady climb up the charts.
Paloma#792
“Dove” — #792 today, 104 years after it was first recorded.
Palmer#991
“pilgrim” — back on the charts after a long quiet spell.
Fresh climbers across every letter live on Rising names.
IVPast the ranked list
Beyond the ranks
Strong P names the ranked list above never reaches — each with its own note from the records.
Shortlist getting long?
Browsing alphabetically is how shortlists grow, not how they shrink. Swipe a deck with your partner to cut it down, or put your favorites to a family vote.
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NameBattle · 146 years of official US statistics behind every name on this page.