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Penwell Family History

Penwell Surname Meaning

English (Devon): habitational name from Pingwell Haw in Wilmington (Sussex) or from a lost or as yet unidentified place of similar name in south-west England.

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

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Penwell family from?

You can see how Penwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penwell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 93 Penwell families living in Devon. This was about 49% of all the recorded Penwell's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Penwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penwell 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 Penwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Electric Meter Inspector and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penwell. 100% of Penwell men worked as an Electric Meter Inspector and 73% of Penwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Penwell | 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

  • Electric Meter Inspector
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    21%
  • Childrens Nurse
    7%

What Penwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Penwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penwell

Passenger Lists

There are 345 immigration records available for the last name Penwell. 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 Penwell immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Penwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penwell family history

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What is the average Penwell lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Penwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Penwell in 1953 was 43, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penwell 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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