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Penning Family History

Penning Surname Meaning

English, Dutch, and North German: from early Middle English penning, Low German penning, Middle Dutch penninc ‘penny’ (see Penny), a topographic name (from a field name) or a nickname referring to tax dues of a penny.

South German: from the short form Panno of an ancient Germanic personal name derived from a word meaning ‘ban, order, command’.

English: from a Middle English personal name Pening, Pining, presumably representing an unrecorded Old English name, a pet form perhaps of Penda or of names like Pendhere and Pendwulf.

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


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Where is the Penning family from?

You can see how Penning families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penning family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penning families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 76 Penning families living in London. This was about 39% of all the recorded Penning's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Penning families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penning 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 Penning ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penning. 50% of Penning men worked as an Incapacitated and 91% of Penning women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penning were Retired and Household Duties (unpaid).

View Census Data for Penning | 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

  • Incapacitated
    50%
  • Retired
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    91%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    4%

What Penning family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Penning. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penning census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penning

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Penning. 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 Penning immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Penning. For the veterans among your Penning ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penning military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penning family history

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What is the average Penning lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Penning life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Penning in 1961 was 56, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penning

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penning 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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