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

Pennypacker, 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 Pennypacker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pennypacker in America

Pennypacker is the 29740th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pennypacker surname appeared 791 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 Pennypacker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pennypacker 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 Pennypacker

The surname Pennypacker is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "pening" meaning penny and "bakkere" meaning baker. This suggests that the name originated as an occupational surname for a baker or seller of penny loaves of bread. The name was first concentrated in the West Midlands region of England, particularly in Worcestershire and neighboring counties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a William Pennypacker is listed. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1327, indicating its presence in the area during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the surname is found in various records from Worcestershire and neighboring counties. For example, a John Pennypacker is listed in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1542, while a Thomas Pennypacker is recorded in the parish registers of Stoke Prior, Worcestershire, in 1591.

The earliest known emigrant to the American colonies bearing the Pennypacker surname was Hendrick Pannebecker, who arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1699. He later anglicized his name to Henry Pennypacker. His grandson, Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker (1843-1916), became the 24th Governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1903 to 1907.

Another notable figure with the Pennypacker surname was Sir Isaac Pennypacker (1678-1751), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as Governor of the Bahamas from 1720 to 1737.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the Pennypacker surname made significant contributions. These include Elijah Funk Pennypacker (1804-1888), a Pennsylvania historian and judge, and Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker (1837-1922), a Civil War veteran and author who served as President of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.

While the name originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the West Midlands region of England, where it was first recorded as an occupational surname in the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pennypacker

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

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

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

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