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Penk Family History

Penk Name Meaning

German: habitational name from any of various places so named in Bavaria. German: from a pet form of the personal name Benignus (see Benigno ). German: from an Old Prussian personal name. Sorbian (P'eńk): from a diminutive of Lower Sorbian p'eń ‘tree stump trunk’ (see Penn ) probably a nickname for a short stocky person or for a fool; compare 5 below. Germanized form of Sorbian Pjeńk: cognate of 1 above from Upper Sorbian pjeńk ‘tree stump trunk’ by extension also ‘blockhead fool’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Penn, Pink, Wenk, Renk, Perk, Beck, Denk, Peak, Penka, Peck

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Where is the Penk family from?

You can see how Penk families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penk family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penk families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 40 Penk families living in Lancashire. This was about 20% of all the recorded Penk's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Penk families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penk surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Penk ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Penk. 84% of Penk women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Penk | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
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What Penk family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Penk. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penk census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penk

Passenger Lists

There are 474 immigration records available for the last name Penk. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Penk immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 399 military records available for the last name Penk. For the veterans among your Penk ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penk military records

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What is the average Penk lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Penk life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1969, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Penk in 1965 was 68, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penk

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