This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Penter family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Penter Family History

Penter Surname Meaning

The variant of Painter, John Penter, in Crowan 1524 in Cornwall Subsidies is almost certainly identical with John Paynter in Crowan 1522 in Cornwall Military Survey. Rarely, if ever, does it stem from one of several places in Cornwall named Pentire, derived from Middle Cornish *pen-tyr ‘headland’ (pen ‘head top end; promontory’ tyr ‘land’).

This place-name probably did give rise to an occasional surname such as that of Thomas Pentyre 1543 in Cornwall Subsidies, who lived in Pentire, Saint Eval parish. The pronunciation of this surname (with stress on the second syllable as in the place-name) could have been altered to Penter (with stress on the first syllable), possibly influenced by Penter/Painter mentioned previously, though evidence is lacking.

Pentyr(e) in the following examples is usually an alternative spelling of Penter or Painter. This suggests a complex relationship between the place-names, surnames, and their pronunciations across historical contexts.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Penter family from?

You can see how Penter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penter families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 34 Penter families living in Cornwall. This was about 30% of all the recorded Penter's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Penter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Penter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Carpenter joiner and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penter. 100% of Penter men worked as a Carpenter joiner and 100% of Penter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Penter | 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

  • Carpenter joiner
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Penter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Penter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penter

Passenger Lists

There are 681 immigration records available for the last name Penter. 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 Penter immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Penter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penter family history

Discover More

What is the average Penter lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Penter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Penter in 1959 was 43, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penter 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Penter family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial