Is the baby name Penelope about to skyrocket in popularity?

Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick welcomed their second child, a baby girl, on Sunday. The baby’s name is Penelope.

While not all of us care much about the Kardashian clan, in the baby name world, this news matters.

Why?

Because Kourtney just about single-handedly launched the baby name Mason into the top 10 when she decided to name her first child Mason in late 2009.

Mason was the baby name that increased the most in usage in both 2010 and 2011. It’s currently the second most popular name in the nation.

Penelope — a name that comes to us from ancient Greece via Homer’s Odyssey — is already on its way up:

  • 2011: 1,847 baby girls named Penelope (rank: 169th)
  • 2010: 1,543 baby girls named Penelope (rank: 200th)
  • 2009: 1,294 baby girls named Penelope (rank: 252nd)
  • 2008: 919 baby girls named Penelope (rank: 359th)
  • 2007: 794 baby girls named Penelope (rank: 409th)

What will happen to the baby name Penelope now that it’s got the Kardashian stamp of approval?

6 thoughts on “Is the baby name Penelope about to skyrocket in popularity?

  1. Yes I expect it to shoot up. Again, names only get a celeb boost if they are trendy before: Mason fit that bill, and so does Penelope. I expect it to be top100 next year.

  2. Nothing official on the middle name Scotland yet.

    Could be from Scott’s name, or (as one article mentioned) could be from the baby’s Scottish ancestry (via Kris Jenner).

    Or could be something entirely different, say…interior design? Maybe they have a room decked out in tartan fabrics and bagpipe wallpaper or something. :)

  3. Here are the recent numbers/rankings for Penelope (from the just-released 2016 data):

    • 2016: 6,367 babies named Penelope (27th)
    • 2015: 5,936 babies named Penelope (34th)
    • 2014: 5,081 babies named Penelope (43rd)
    • 2013: 4,282 babies named Penelope (56th)
    • 2012: 2,531 babies named Penelope (125th)

    …How high will it go, do you think?

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