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

Penix, 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 Penix surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Penix in America

Penix is the 14749th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Penix surname appeared 2,014 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Penix.

We can also compare 2010 data for Penix 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 Penix

The surname PENIX is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "pening" (meaning a penny or small coin) and "wic" (meaning a dwelling or village), suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a village or settlement where tolls or taxes were collected.

One of the earliest known references to the name PENIX can be found in the Feet of Fines records from the county of Lincolnshire in 1273, where a William de Penyngwyk is mentioned. The spelling variations in these early records, such as "Penyngwyk" and "Pennyngwyke," reflect the evolving nature of surnames during that time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire, where a John Penyng is listed as a taxpayer in 1327. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in different regions of England during the medieval period.

The PENIX surname is also found in the Hearth Tax Returns of the late 17th century, which recorded households and their taxable hearths. One notable entry from 1674 lists a Robert Penix in the parish of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, London.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname PENIX. One such person was John Penix (c. 1620-1677), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Compton Chamberlayne in Wiltshire. Another was Samuel Penix (1679-1745), a merchant and shipowner from Bristol, England, who played a role in the city's maritime trade.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the PENIX surname can be found in the records of Virginia, where a William Penix is mentioned in a land grant from 1678. Later, in the 19th century, a prominent figure was James Madison Penix (1812-1879), a lawyer and politician from Kentucky who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Another noteworthy individual was John Penix (1813-1891), a farmer and businessman from Missouri who established a successful mercantile business and played a significant role in the development of his local community.

While these examples provide a glimpse into the history and distribution of the PENIX surname, it is important to note that further research may uncover additional information and shed more light on the origins and significance of this fascinating family name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Penix

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

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 Penix 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 Penix 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 Penix was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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