Find out how popular the last name Penelton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Penelton.

Penelton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Penelton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Penelton in America

Penelton is the 116201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Penelton surname appeared 150 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Penelton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Penelton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Penelton

The surname Penelton is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "penne," meaning "pen" or "enclosure," and "tun," meaning "farm" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a fenced or enclosed area used for livestock.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332, where a Robert Penneltone is mentioned. The variant spelling "Penneltone" provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from a wealthy Norfolk family. A certain John Penelton is referenced in a letter dated 1472, indicating the presence of the name in East Anglia during this period.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Penelton. However, it does record various place names that may have influenced the name's development, such as Penton in Hampshire and Penhull in Worcestershire.

Notable individuals who bore the Penelton surname include:

1. Sir William Penelton (c. 1490-1557), a prominent lawyer and member of the English Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII.
2. Elizabeth Penelton (1612-1688), a Puritan woman who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and was among the founders of the town of Taunton.
3. Thomas Penelton (1725-1798), a British architect known for his work on several churches and country estates in the Georgian style.
4. Margaret Penelton (1814-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Scotland.
5. Charles Penelton (1870-1941), an English explorer and naturalist who conducted expeditions in Africa and South America.

While the Penelton surname may have originated in specific regions of England, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, with limited availability of modern census data.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Penelton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Penelton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Penelton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Penelton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Penelton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Penelton, please contact us.

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