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At a Glance: Name: Penn – Meaning: as a surname, either 'an enclosure' or, from a Celtic place-name root, 'hilltop/head' – Origin: English (surname/place name) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: PEN
Penn is a boy's name, pronounced PEN (/ˈpɛn/), with English surname and place-name roots and a clean, modern style. It's often said to simply mean 'enclosure,' but that overstates the certainty — as a surname, Penn has several competing roots, including 'enclosure' and a Celtic word for 'hilltop' or 'head,' so no single meaning is confirmed.
Meaning & Origin of Penn
Meaning: As a surname, either 'an enclosure' or, from a celtic place-name root, 'hilltop/head'.
Origin: English (surname/place name).
A common claim: Penn is often stated to simply mean 'enclosure.' Actually: That overstates the certainty — as a surname, Penn has several competing roots (English 'enclosure', Celtic 'hilltop/head', or a variant of Parnell), so no single meaning is confirmed.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Penn
Phonetic: PEN IPA: /ˈpɛn/
Popularity of Penn
Penn ranked #2978 in 2024 with 42 babies given the name, down from its peak of #1869 in 2014, when 79 babies received it.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1915–2024.
Make Penn Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Penn, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Penn mean?
As a surname, either ‘an enclosure’ or, from a celtic place-name root, ‘hilltop/head’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Penn)
How do you pronounce Penn?
Penn is pronounced PEN (IPA: /ˈpɛn/).
Is Penn a popular name right now?
Penn peaked at #1869 in 2014 and is ranked #2978 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1915–2024.)
📊 How popular is Penn? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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