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

Penuel, 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 Penuel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Penuel in America

Penuel is the 46725th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Penuel surname appeared 455 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 Penuel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Penuel 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 Penuel

The surname Penuel is of Hebrew origin, tracing its roots back to ancient biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew words "penei" meaning "face" and "El" meaning "God," forming the phrase "face of God." This name is believed to have originated in the region of ancient Canaan, modern-day Israel and Palestine.

One of the earliest known references to the name comes from the Book of Genesis in the Bible, where it is mentioned as the place where Jacob wrestled with an angel. The town of Penuel was located on the east bank of the Jordan River, and its name signified a place of divine encounter.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Penuel appeared in various records and manuscripts across Europe. It was particularly prevalent in areas with Jewish populations, as the name held significant religious and cultural significance for the Jewish community.

One notable early bearer of the name was Rabbi Penuel ben Moses, a renowned scholar and kabbalist who lived in Spain during the 13th century. He was known for his contributions to the study of Jewish mysticism and his influential writings on the Zohar.

In the 16th century, the surname Penuel can be found in records from the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Penuell" or "Pnuell." One notable individual from this time period was Hendrick Penuell, a Dutch merchant and trader who established trade routes with the East Indies.

Moving into the 17th century, the name Penuel appeared in English records, often spelled as "Peneuel" or "Peniel." One notable figure was John Peniel, an English Puritan minister who was a vocal advocate for religious freedom and played a role in the English Civil War.

In the 19th century, there was a notable American family with the surname Penuel, originating from Pennsylvania. One prominent member was Jacob Penuel, a businessman and philanthropist who established several educational institutions in the state.

Other notable individuals with the surname Penuel include Miguel Penuel, a Spanish artist and sculptor from the 20th century, and Sarah Penuel, an American writer and poet who published several collections of poetry in the late 20th century.

While the surname Penuel has its origins in ancient Hebrew culture, it has since been adopted and adapted by various communities around the world, reflecting the rich tapestry of human history and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Penuel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!