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Penwill Family History

Penwill Surname Meaning

From Pingwell Haw in Wilmington (Sussex) seemingly recorded as Pynewelle in 1342, or from a lost or as yet unidentified place of similar name in SW England.

The Sussex place-name derives from the Old English personal name Pinna + Old English wella ‘spring, stream, well’.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Penwill family from?

You can see how Penwill families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penwill family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1880 and 1891. The most Penwill families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 86 Penwill families living in Devon. This was about 83% of all the recorded Penwill's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Penwill families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penwill 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 Penwill ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penwill. 50% of Penwill men worked as a Builders Labourer and 83% of Penwill women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penwill were General Labourer and Dressmaker (on Own Account).

View Census Data for Penwill | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    50%
  • General Labourer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    83%
  • Domestic Duties
    5%
  • Upaid Domestic
    4%
  • Dressmaker (on Own Account)
    4%

What Penwill family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Penwill. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penwill census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penwill

Passenger Lists

There are 257 immigration records available for the last name Penwill. 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 Penwill immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 255 military records available for the last name Penwill. For the veterans among your Penwill ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penwill military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penwill family history

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What is the average Penwill lifespan?

Average Penwill life expectancy in 2004 was 80 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 74.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penwill

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penwill 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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