2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pennay
A Scottish surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "pennaidh" meaning a pennyland or small agricultural holding.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Pennay. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pennay 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Pennay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pennay, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pennay
The surname Pennay originated in the northern regions of France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "pene," which referred to a type of woolen cloth or a fur cloak. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the textile or clothing trade in its early days.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pennay can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Reginald Pennay, who held property in the county of Lincolnshire, England.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Penney, Penny, and Pennée. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Pennay was recorded as a merchant in the city of Rouen, Normandy. His trade activities may have contributed to the further dissemination of the surname across the English Channel.
During the 16th century, a branch of the Pennay family settled in the Scottish Highlands, where they became prominent landowners. Sir Robert Pennay (1547-1624) was a respected laird and military leader who fought alongside King James VI in the conflicts against the English.
Another influential individual with the surname Pennay was Jacques Pennay (1685-1759), a French philosopher and writer during the Age of Enlightenment. His works on social and political theory were widely read and debated among the intellectual circles of his time.
In the 18th century, a notable explorer named Charles Pennay (1721-1787) gained recognition for his expeditions to the South Pacific. His detailed accounts of the islands and their inhabitants contributed to the geographical knowledge of the era.
The Pennay surname also has a presence in the arts, with the celebrated painter Marie Pennay (1856-1932) being one of the most renowned artists of the French Impressionist movement. Her vibrant landscapes and portraiture captured the essence of Parisian life during the late 19th century.
While these are just a few examples, the Pennay surname has a rich history that spans across Europe and various fields of endeavor, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pennay
Among Census respondents with the surname Pennay, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pennay 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 Pennay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 98
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pennay
Pennay appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,674 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 4,674 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 Pennay 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 | #152,628 | #147,954 | 3.1% |
| Count | 107 | 112 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pennay bearers went from 107 to 112 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 4,674 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,954.
FAQ
Pennay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pennay?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Pennay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Pennay?
Pennay ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Pennay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pennay.
Has Pennay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pennay went from 107 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Pennay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pennay, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Pennay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pennay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Pennay (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 Pennay mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "pennaidh" meaning a pennyland or small agricultural holding. 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 Pennay (0.04 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 Pennay?
Want to know how common the surname Pennay is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.