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Penwarden Family History

Penwarden Surname Meaning

Cornish: habitational name from Penwarden in South Hill eastern Cornwall. The placename derives from Middle Cornish pen ‘head top summit promontory’.

+ guern ‘alders alder swamp’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Penwarden family from?

You can see how Penwarden families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penwarden family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penwarden families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 113 Penwarden families living in Devon. This was about 37% of all the recorded Penwarden's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Penwarden families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penwarden 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 Penwarden ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Old Age Pensioner and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penwarden. 34% of Penwarden men worked as an Old Age Pensioner and 81% of Penwarden women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penwarden were Heavy Worker and Private Means.

View Census Data for Penwarden | 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

  • Old Age Pensioner
    34%
  • General Labourer
    34%
  • Heavy Worker
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Penwarden family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Penwarden. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penwarden census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penwarden

Passenger Lists

There are 434 immigration records available for the last name Penwarden. 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 Penwarden immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 387 military records available for the last name Penwarden. For the veterans among your Penwarden ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penwarden military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penwarden family history

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What is the average Penwarden lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Penwarden life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1979, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Penwarden in 1962 was 85, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penwarden

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penwarden 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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