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Penman Family History

Penman Name Meaning

Welsh and Scottish:: habitational name from a lost place in the Border region derived from Brittonic penmaen ‘head [of the] stone’. habitational name from any of several places in Wales similarly named such as Penmaenmawr or Penmaenbach (Caernarvonshire).

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


Similar surnames: Penna, Perman, Putman, Kelman, Henman, Wedman, Mesman, Edman, Derman

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Penman family from?

You can see how Penman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penman families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 136 Penman families living in Durham. This was about 28% of all the recorded Penman's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Penman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penman 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 Penman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penman. 12% of Penman men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Penman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penman were Cotton Weaver and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Penman | 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

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Retired
    7%
  • Capstan Lathe Hand
    7%
  • Cotton Weaver
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Domestic Duties
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Penman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 39,000 census records available for the last name Penman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penman

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Penman. 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 Penman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Penman. For the veterans among your Penman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penman family history

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What is the average Penman lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Penman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Penman in 1943 was 40, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penman

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