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Pennington Family History

Pennington Surname Meaning

English (mainly Lancashire and Cumbria): habitational name from Pennington in Furness (Lancashire) which derives from Old English pening ‘penny’ + tūn ‘farmstead estate’ or from Pennington in Leigh (Lancashire) which probably derives from the Old English personal name Pinna + the Old English groupname suffix -ingas (genitive -inga-) + Old English tūn.

Habitational name from Pennington (Hampshire) or from Penton Grafton or Penton Mewsey (both Hampshire); see Penton.

All have the same etymology as Pennington in Furness; see 1 above.

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


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Where is the Pennington family from?

You can see how Pennington families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pennington family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pennington families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3,177 Pennington families living in Lancashire. This was about 61% of all the recorded Pennington's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Pennington families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pennington 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 Pennington ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pennington. 13% of Pennington men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Pennington women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pennington were Farmer and Household Duties.

View Census Data for Pennington | 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

  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Household Duties
    2%

What Pennington family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 179,000 census records available for the last name Pennington. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pennington census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pennington

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Pennington. 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 Pennington immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 38,000 military records available for the last name Pennington. For the veterans among your Pennington ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pennington military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pennington family history

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What is the average Pennington lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Pennington life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Pennington in 1942 was 25, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pennington

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Pennington 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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