Penny

Penny is an English diminutive of Penelope, which derives from the ancient Greek name Penelope, likely rooted in the Greek word pene, meaning thread or bobbin, combined with ops, meaning face or eye, though some scholars connect the first element to a word for duck. In Greek mythology, Penelope was the faithful wife of Odysseus, renowned for her patience and cleverness as she waited years for his return from Troy. The short form Penny came into widespread independent use in the English-speaking world during the twentieth century. Related forms include Penelope, Pen, and the Welsh variant Penna.