The name Penelope is believed to be derived from the Greek word penelops, referring to a type of duck. When not beng used as an animal name, Penelope can be derived from the Greek elements pene, meaning "threads" or "weft," and ops, meaning "eye," or lepo, meaning "unraveled." Therefore, it could also mean "weaver." In Greek mythology, Penelope was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and wife of hero Odysseus. Her story was told in Homer's "Odyssey" epic. The name was semi-popular in the U.S. in the 1940s, but didn't crack the top-100 for girl names until 2013. It has now been a top-25 girl's name every year since 2019 and was the name reality TV stars Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave their only daughter Penelope, born in 2012. "My Girl" actress Anna Chlumsky also has a daughter name Penelope Joan, born in 2020.
