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Penelope (given name)

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Penelope
Pronunciation/pəˈnɛləpi/[1][2] pə-NEL-ə-pee
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameGreek mythology
MeaningWeaver
Other names
Nickname(s)Nell, Nellie, Nelly, Pen, Penny, Pepper, Pip, Pippa, Popi, Poppi, Poppy, Punky.

Penelope, often used in reference to Homer's character, is a female first name of Greek origin. It is of uncertain meaning but may be derived from the Greek word penelops, which means duck or refers to another water fowl sacred to the Ancient Greeks. The name might also be derived from the Greek pene meaning web and either ops meaning eye or lepo, meaning unraveled, implying the meaning weaver.[3][4][5][6] The name was revived in the Anglosphere by the mid-16th Century and has since been in occasional use.[7]

Popularity

The name has increased in popularity in recent years. It is among the most popular names for girls in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, and the United States.[8][9][10]

People

Fictional and mythological characters

Notes

  1. ^ "Penelope". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
  2. ^ "Penelope". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  3. ^ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Penelope".
  4. ^ "Name of the Week".
  5. ^ "17. Penelope and the Penelops".
  6. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 217. ISBN 9780198610601.
  7. ^ Redmonds, George, Christian Names in Local and Family History, Dundurn Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55002-507-4 p. 41
  8. ^ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Penelope".
  9. ^ "Popular Baby Names".
  10. ^ Kelly, Lesley-Anne; Morrice, Emma; Santa Cruz, Joely (28 March 2022). "King David and the death of Karen: Scotland's baby name trends for past 50 years". thecourier.co.uk. The Courier. Retrieved 21 May 2022.

See also