2000
#11,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Penley
From a place name meaning "pear tree clearing" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,706 Americans carry the last name Penley. That puts it at #12,537 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,665 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Penley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,665
Census rank
#12,537
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,360 bearers of the surname Penley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12537th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Penley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Penley
Among Census respondents with the surname Penley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Penley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Penley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,168
- Two or more races3.8% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Penley
Penley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,624
-5 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 840 places
2020
#12,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,360
-264 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 609 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,088 | 2,629 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,928 | 2,624 | 0.89 | -5 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 840 places |
| 2020 | #12,537 | 2,360 | 0.79 | -264 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 609 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Penley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,928 | #12,537 | -5.1% |
| Count | 2,624 | 2,360 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.79 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Penley bearers went from 2,624 to 2,360 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 609 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,928 to #12,537.
FAQ
Penley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Penley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,706 living Americans carry the surname Penley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,665 residents.
How common is Penley?
Penley ranks #12,537 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,360 people with the surname Penley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,706), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Penley.
Has Penley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Penley went from 2,624 recorded bearers to 2,360. That is a decrease of 264 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,928 to #12,537.
What does the Census say about the background of Penley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Penley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Penley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,168 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Penley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Penley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Penley mean?
From a place name meaning "pear tree clearing" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Penley (0.79 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Penley?
You can see how many people have the last name Penley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.