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Penhale Family History

Penhale Surname Meaning

from any of more than two dozen places called Penhale in Cornwall or from places of similar name in Wales such as Pennal (Merioneths) or from Penheale in Egloskerry (Cornwall). The Cornish places named Penhale derive from Middle Cornish pen hal ‘moor's head marsh's head’ (pen ‘head top end; promontory’ hal ‘moor marsh’);

Pennal (Merioneths) has the same meaning. Penheale derives from Middle Cornish pen + hel ‘hall’.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Penhale family from?

You can see how Penhale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penhale family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Penhale families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 66 Penhale families living in Devon. This was about 33% of all the recorded Penhale's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Penhale families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penhale 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 Penhale ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penhale. 43% of Penhale men worked as a Farmer and 89% of Penhale women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penhale were Colliery Screen Washerman (h Wk) and Private Means.

View Census Data for Penhale | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Railway Clerk
    29%
  • Colliery Screen Washerman (h Wk)
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Incapacitated
    9%
  • Private Means
    4%

What Penhale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Penhale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penhale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penhale

Passenger Lists

There are 737 immigration records available for the last name Penhale. 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 Penhale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 746 military records available for the last name Penhale. For the veterans among your Penhale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penhale military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penhale family history

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What is the average Penhale lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Penhale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1988, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Penhale in 1963 was 75, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penhale

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penhale ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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