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

Penson, 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 Penson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Penson in America

Penson is the 15483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Penson surname appeared 1,891 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Penson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Penson 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 Penson

The surname PENSON is of English origin, derived from a medieval occupational surname referring to someone who collected or received pennies or small payments. It originates from the Old English words "peni" meaning penny and "son" meaning son, suggesting it was initially used to identify the son of a penny collector or tax gatherer.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 12th century in various parish records and tax rolls from counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Variations in spelling such as Penison, Pennison, and Pennyson were common during this period.

In the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the PENSON surname. However, the name may have derived from occupational titles like "penniger" or "peniger," which referred to penny collectors or tax officials.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the PENSON surname was John Penson, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1202. Another early example is Roger Penson, mentioned in the Court Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1284.

Historically, the PENSON surname was often associated with specific locations, such as Penson Green in Oxfordshire and Penson Leaze in Somerset, which may have been named after individuals with the surname or vice versa.

Notable individuals with the PENSON surname throughout history include:

1. William Penson (c. 1540-1609), an English composer and organist who served at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
2. Henry Penson (1628-1673), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.
3. John Penson (1736-1805), a British merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in London.
4. Thomas Penson (1790-1865), a British architect known for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Mint.
5. Lillian Penson (1896-1963), a British historian and academic who specialized in the study of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era.

While the PENSON surname is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history deeply rooted in medieval occupational titles and early records from various regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Penson

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

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

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

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