If your daughter is called Penelope, please tell me how old she is and what people said when you told them her name?

I love Penelope - it's on the list for if this DC is a girl.

There is a new-ish character on CBeebies (Show Me, Show Me and a spin off) who is called Penelope though, which is what made me think of it - I think it may see an increase in popularity because of this.

We chose it as our girls name this time. We have another gorgeous DS but I would still use the name if we have a DD in the future.

Of the few people we told they were very keen - older family members thought it was a 'proper' name and my friends loved the abbreviations - we thought we would have used Nell.

love it... its number two on our shortlist but still have vivid picture of DS aged 3 and his cousin also 3, sat on the sofa watching Thunderbirds. Lady P arrives on screen in her pink car and DS shouts 'its Lady Pappanery' his couse yells 'no, its Melapy pelapy' (much snorting from the adults followed)

I think there might be some pronunciation ishoos for toddler aged siblings!

still love it though and im considering moving it up to first place now i've seen i can have nelly as a nn rather than penny

Oh and in the name announcing email I said "Penelope, sometimes Pen, never Penny" so right from the off everyone we know would get the idea not to start with that. Will see how it pans out at school, I reckon from other parents thus far that Pen will be the nn, unless we go public with Plum . I know of a couple of grown up Penelopes who are always Penelope so it is possible to not have a shortening.

DP and I love it, DD Is it and is nearly 1 year old. Don't like Penny though, so Pen is the shortening(or Plum but that's just me and him) but I'm going to make people say Penelope more to reinforoce it for her as less keen on Pen than I was (think to me Pen is the adult possibility more than the little girl).

People's reactions have been overwhelmingly what a lovely name and usually in a oh-we-forgot-that-name-and-how-nice-it-is way. Except for our parents who are in their 60s and 70s and though they wouldn't say so, they don't like it, obv has some old lady or other connotations for them. My mum tends to go with P.

My DH loves this name and it's topping the charts for if we have another DD.

He like Lope as a nn, I like Nelly or Nell!!

Penny reminds me of my Nanna's next door neibours cat!! But still like it.

I know three, a Penny, a Penel and a PJ. One of them hated it when she was growing up (because her brothers called her Persmellope) but they all seem happy enough with it now. don't know anyone who actually uses it in full though.

Oh, I had forgotten about pitstop! Someone I know still calls me pitstop, I have stopped noticing!

The only NN I have ever had that I like is PJ - which my Dad calls me. (No, I have never had a friend called Duncan and I am NOT ready to rumble!)

Pitstop!

Who would not want to be thought of as Lady Penelope?

My 23 yr old cousin is called Penelope, we just call her penny. Its never been a biggy, no backlash or jokes. I like it. But Im pised so I like Wolfgang atM!

I guess it was just because it was a bit different and I don't ever remember there being another Penny at school. Lots of jokes about spending a penny, can you lend me some money etc etc.

I think I started liking it at about 20 when I started working. I stopped getting any kind of reaction at about that age, I think that helped.

I am almost 40 so unusual names weren't so common then. Most of my year were called Debbie, Michelle, Lisa, Sharon or Tracey!

Love it. It's DDs middle name (aged 6 mths).
Not her first name as there was a different name I loved more.

It is my name and I have grown to like it - hated it when I was young though - sorry!

(And I am not sweaty or red faced!!! am a bit overweight though )

It's my best friend's name. She's known as Penny or, occasionally, Pen. I think it's lovely, but can't use it because I don't like using the names of friends.

I love the name Penelope! Infact, we strongly considered it for our DD2 and it would be within my top 2 or 3 if we were to ever have another. The only thing that put us off in the end was both of us disliking Penny and DH thinking it would be the inevitable nn. I was keen to use Nell and think that this is lovely
I don't know any little ones, although I do live in an area with v conservative naming style abounds!

Agree, don't like Penny for a nn. I'd go for Penelope with Nell for nn. Nell is gorgeous. In fact, I'd go for Nell!

I think Felicity is a lovely name too, that's very underused. Felicity Violet has a lovely ring to it I think. Penelope is a tad more.....pedestrian.

Adore Penelope. Not so keen on Penny though

Don't like it, reminds me old over weight, sweaty red faced women.

Lovely name. A friends 6yr old dd called this with nn Nel also know of a 12yr old in nieces class with nn Penny.

lovely.