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

Pennell, 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 Pennell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pennell in America

Pennell is the 5633rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pennell surname appeared 6,170 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Pennell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pennell 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 Pennell

The surname Pennell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "pening" and "hyll," which together mean "penny hill" or "hill where rent was paid." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a specific hill or location where rent or taxes were collected.

The earliest known record of the surname Pennell dates back to the 13th century in the county of Gloucestershire, England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a document recording landowners and their possessions, there is a mention of a Robert de Penhulle.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which lists a William Penell as a taxpayer. This indicates that the name was present in different regions of England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Pennell was John Pennell, who was born in 1610 in Munsley, Hertfordshire, England. He later immigrated to the American colonies and settled in Pennsylvania, where he became a prominent Quaker leader and landowner.

In the 17th century, Edward Pennell (1634-1707) was a notable English politician and Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire. He was also a justice of the peace and served as the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.

Another prominent figure was Joseph Pennell (1857-1926), an American artist and author who was renowned for his etchings and lithographs. He was born in Philadelphia and gained international recognition for his works depicting various cities and landscapes.

In the 19th century, Henry Pennell (1826-1917) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Garrick Theatre and the Royal Automobile Club.

Robert Pennell (1849-1920) was an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and was considered one of the best wicket-keepers of his time.

These examples demonstrate the presence of the surname Pennell across various professions and regions throughout history, reflecting its enduring legacy as an English surname with origins dating back to the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pennell

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

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

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

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