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Penner Family History

Penner Surname Meaning

English (Middlesex and Warwickshire): occupational name from a derivative of Middle English pennen ‘to confine impound’ perhaps for one who impounded stray animals; compare Pinder Pounder.

North German (including Lower Rhine): occupational name from Middle Low German penner ‘owner of a salt-boiling pan’.

German: habitational name for someone from Penna near Leipzig.

East German: name of Salzburg emigrants in East Prussia a topographic name derived from Middle High German biunte ‘separate part of land or enclosure belonging to a village’.

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


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Where is the Penner family from?

You can see how Penner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penner families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 30 Penner families living in London. This was about 26% of all the recorded Penner's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Penner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penner 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 Penner ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, House Painter and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penner. 100% of Penner men worked as a House Painter and 85% of Penner women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Penner | 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

  • House Painter
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Retired
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%

What Penner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Penner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penner

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Penner. 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 Penner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Penner. For the veterans among your Penner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penner family history

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What is the average Penner lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Penner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Penner in 1945 was 34, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penner 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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