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

Penley, 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 Penley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Penley in America

Penley is the 11928th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Penley surname appeared 2,624 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 Penley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Penley 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 Penley

The surname Penley is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, specifically the village of Penley in Flintshire, Wales. The name is derived from the Old English words "penn" meaning hill or high ground, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Penley is recorded as "Pendelai," suggesting that the surname may have evolved from this early spelling. The earliest known record of the surname itself dates back to 1273, when a Richard de Penley was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.

During the medieval period, the Penley family held lands and properties in various parts of England and Wales. One notable figure was Sir John Penley, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and died in 1485.

In the 16th century, the Penley surname appears in various records, including the Parish Registers of Shropshire. One prominent individual was Thomas Penley, a scholar and clergyman who lived from 1532 to 1593. He served as the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral.

The 17th century saw the emergence of a notable Penley family in the county of Hertfordshire. Sir Edward Penley, born in 1612, was a Member of Parliament and a prominent landowner. His grandson, also named Edward Penley, was a renowned architect who designed several churches and country houses in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, John Penley (1733-1801) was a successful merchant and philanthropist in London. He made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and established a school for underprivileged children.

Another notable figure was William Penley (1785-1857), a pioneering geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils and the understanding of Earth's geological history.

Throughout the 19th century, the Penley surname continued to be prominent in various fields. One example is Sir Charles Penley (1824-1899), a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

Overall, the surname Penley has a rich history spanning several centuries, with individuals from this family making notable contributions in areas such as military service, academia, architecture, and philanthropy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Penley

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

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

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

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