# The Big Bang Theory: What Will Penny's Last Name Be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817 "2011-11-23T00:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/1 "2011-11-23T00:16:26Z")
[Big Bang Theory producer Bill Prady states that Penny’s last name will eventually be revealed](http://weblogs.variety.com/season_pass/2009/05/big-bang-theory-we-didnt-anticipate-how-protective-the-audience-would-feel-toward-our-guys.html). I thought we’d get her last name when her dad came to visit, but alas, no. What do you think her last name will be? Poll to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/2 "2011-11-23T00:23:50Z")
For no particular reason, I’m guessing “farthing”. Which would fall under the third category. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/3 "2011-11-23T00:38:04Z")
I am holding out hope for Penny Sevengram-Rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/4 "2011-11-23T00:44:04Z")
Has it ever been made explicit whether the main characters know her surname? On one hand it’d be very weird if a group of people who hang out with her so often, (including her former boyfriend), didn’t know her surname. On the other, the fact the producers have made an issue of the fact that we don’t know it and it will be revealed eventually kind of indicates something about the surname is likely to cause some form of a stir. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/5 "2011-11-23T00:46:22Z")
It can’t be a geek reference, because somebody would have commented on it already. My guess is some thing new-geek, so whatever hits the science news in the next few months, look for a surname. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/6 "2011-11-23T01:59:43Z")
Penny Lane, it’s got to be Penny Lane. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/7 "2011-11-23T02:06:42Z")
Penny Nichols ---
**Author:** ![Madame\_Joy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@Madame\_Joy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madame_Joy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/8 "2011-11-23T02:08:05Z")
I hope it’s Knockknockknock. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/9 "2011-11-23T02:09:50Z")
Covington-Smythe. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/10 "2011-11-23T02:25:38Z")
I bet it’s revealed to be something that will get the guys in a huge tizzy. I bet she is related to someone famous in the geek community ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/11 "2011-11-23T02:26:09Z")
I vote, for no reason at all, Marshall. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/12 "2011-11-23T02:31:01Z")
Penny’s last name will turn out to be Smith. Then it will be discovered her grandfather/great-uncle or whatever is [George E. Smith](http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/smith.html). When the guys press her about having a Nobel laureate in her family, Penny will say something like “we just thought he worked for the phone company.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/13 "2011-11-23T02:37:26Z")
How 'bout “Hooker?” ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/14 "2011-11-23T02:44:24Z")
She is from my home town, and she is a little on the eccentric side, so she must be a relative ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/15 "2011-11-23T03:02:44Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I bet it’s revealed to be something that will get the guys in a huge tizzy. I bet she is related to someone famous in the geek community Presumably, they already know her last name. So, as **Mr Shine** said, it’s unlikely to be some sort of geeky reference; otherwise, they would have probably commented on it by now. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/16 "2011-11-23T03:54:37Z")
It wouldn’t be something geeky, as others have noted since the other characters would have commented already. It’s probably something anti-geek, like “Lashay,” “Kardashian,” “Hilton,” “Manning,” “Krzyzewski.” She could be related to someone in entertainment or sports and these guys would have no idea who it is. Enter a very special cameo. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/17 "2011-11-23T04:05:50Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Penny’s last name will turn out to be Smith. Then it will be discovered her grandfather/great-uncle or whatever is [George E. Smith](http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/smith.html). When the guys press her about having a Nobel laureate in her family, Penny will say something like “we just thought he worked for the phone company.” This here, I like this. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/18 "2011-11-23T04:07:41Z")
Penny Who ? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/19 "2011-11-23T07:23:11Z")
Well, if they’re going to reveal it, it may turn out to be one of those things where she goes by an incorrect last name. That way the boys and us both are surprised by it. I can even hear Leonard saying, “I thought your last name was \_\_\_\_.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817/20 "2011-11-23T07:36:55Z")
I’m guessing something “corn-fed Nebraskan”, so not quite Smith or Jones but relatively mundane and Nordic-y [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-what-will-pennys-last-name-be/603817.md?page=2)