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

Pennycooke, 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 Pennycooke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pennycooke in America

Pennycooke is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pennycooke surname appeared 104 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pennycooke.

The history of the last name Pennycooke

The surname PENNYCOOKE is of English origin, originating from the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in northern England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "penning" meaning a pen or enclosure for small livestock, and "coc" referring to a small hill or mound. Thus, PENNYCOOKE likely referred to someone who lived near a pen or enclosure situated on a small hill or raised ground.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname appears to be Pennicoke in the Wakefield Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1275. Variations of the spelling included Penycoke, Pennycook, and Pennycooke. The name is also closely linked to the place name Pennycock in Lancashire, which is derived from the same root words and was recorded as early as 1246 in the Lancashire Assize Rolls.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Pennycooke, who was listed in the Tax Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. Another notable early bearer was William Pennycooke, a landowner in Lancashire mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1487.

In the 16th century, the PENNYCOOKE surname appeared in various records across northern England, including the marriage of Alice Pennycooke to Robert Smyth in Eccleshill, Yorkshire, in 1589. A branch of the family also settled in the town of Penrith, Cumbria, where Thomas Pennycooke was recorded as a landowner in the Penrith Parish Registers in 1612.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname spread more widely across England and Scotland, with notable bearers including Robert Pennycooke (1623-1687), a merchant and landowner in Northumberland, and James Pennycooke (1745-1819), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Other individuals of note bearing the PENNYCOOKE surname include:

1. Sir William Pennycooke (1688-1753), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire from 1722 to 1747.
2. Reverend John Pennycooke (1761-1838), a Church of England clergyman and author of several theological works.
3. Elizabeth Pennycooke (1802-1879), a prominent philanthropist and women's rights advocate in Manchester, England.
4. Samuel Pennycooke (1844-1910), a Scottish explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to Africa and South America.
5. Amelia Pennycooke (1867-1942), an English novelist and playwright, best known for her historical romance novels set in the Tudor period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pennycooke

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

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 Pennycooke 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.

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

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

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