Pen Family History

Pen Surname Meaning

English: variant of Penn. Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a clerk or penman from pen ‘pen’ or for a craftsman using pins from pen ‘pin’ (compare Pin).

Breton (mainly Le Pen): topographic name or nickname from penn ‘head’. Alternatively perhaps a cognate of French Payen (compare Pean).

Compare also Pene 2 and Penn 8. Slovenian: nickname or ethnic name of the same origin as German Böhm (see Boehm) meaning ‘Bohemian’ (i.e. ‘Czech’).

Alternatively from an old short form of the personal name Pernhart an old South German variant of Bernhard (see Bernard).

Cambodian: written ប៉ែន of Chinese origin (see Bin).

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

Similar surnames: Penn, Pan, Pin, Pee, Ren, Oen, Men, Ken, Jen, Len

14K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
9K	Military Records
2K	Immigration Records
5K	Census and Voter Lists
6K	Member Trees

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Where is the Pen family from?

You can see how Pen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2 Pen families living in Lancashire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Pen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Pen families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Pen

What did your Pen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Motor driver and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pen. 100% of Pen men worked as a Motor driver and 100% of Pen women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties.

View Census Data for Pen

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.

Motor driver

100%

Unpaid domestic duties

100%

What Pen family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 5K census records available for the last name Pen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pen

Passenger List

There are 2K immigration records available for the last name Pen. 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 Pen immigration records

Military Records

There are 9K military records available for the last name Pen. For the veterans among your Pen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pen family history

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What is the average Pen lifespan?

Between 1975 and 2003, in the United States, Pen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1988, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Pen in 1975 was 58, and 75 in 2003.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pen family tree

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Pen Surname Meaning

English: variant of Penn. Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a clerk or penman from pen ‘pen’ or for a craftsman using pins from pen ‘pin’ (compare Pin).

Breton (mainly Le Pen): topographic name or nickname from penn ‘head’. Alternatively perhaps a cognate of French Payen (compare Pean).

Compare also Pene 2 and Penn 8. Slovenian: nickname or ethnic name of the same origin as German Böhm (see Boehm) meaning ‘Bohemian’ (i.e. ‘Czech’).

Alternatively from an old short form of the personal name Pernhart an old South German variant of Bernhard (see Bernard).

Cambodian: written ប៉ែន of Chinese origin (see Bin).

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

Where is the Pen family from?

What did your Pen ancestors do for a living?

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.

Motor driver

100%

Unpaid domestic duties

100%

What Pen family records will you find?

What is the average Pen lifespan?

Between 1975 and 2003, in the United States, Pen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1988, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Pen in 1975 was 58, and 75 in 2003.

Pen Family History

Pen Surname Meaning

37,000 record(s) for Pen

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Pen family from?

What did your Pen ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Pen family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Pen family history

What is the average Pen lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pen family tree

Search for another surname

Pen Surname Meaning

37,000 record(s) for Pen

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Pen family from?

What did your Pen ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Pen family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Pen family history

What is the average Pen lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pen family tree

Search for another surname