Technically, her last name is Hofstadter. When she marries Leonard in Season 9, she becomes Penny Hofstadter. But here’s the kicker: that’s a married name. Before the wedding, the writers never gave her a maiden name. Not once. Not in a phone book, not on a diploma, not even in a deleted scene. It’s a black hole of information.
So, is her last name “Hofstadter”? Only if we’re being technical. If you ask a hardcore fan, they’ll probably argue that “Penny with no last name” is the true answer. It’s like Beyoncé or Madonna—she’s so iconic that a surname feels too small for her.
