Vanellope was invented for Vanellope von Schweetz, the glitchy little racer in Disney's Wreck-It Ralph from 2012, as a blend of "vanilla" and Penelope, the name of Odysseus's faithful wife. The sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2018 gave it a second push. Vanellope had fewer than five births in 2000, peaked at number 2031 in 2019 and stands at number 2929 in 2025 with 58 births.