NameCensus.

UK surname

Penfold

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with an enclosure or fold for animals.

In the 1881 census there were 2,540 people recorded with the Penfold surname, ranking it #1,758 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,280, ranked #1,586, up from #1,758 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Horsham, Sullington and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashford, Maidstone and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penfold is 4,427 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.5%.

1881 census count

2,540

Ranked #1,758

Modern count

4,280

2016, ranked #1,586

Peak year

1998

4,427 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penfold had 2,540 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,758 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,280 in 2016, ranked #1,586.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,869 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Penfold surname distribution map

The map shows where the Penfold surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Penfold surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Penfold over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,520 #1,887
1861 historical 1,541 #1,846
1881 historical 2,540 #1,758
1891 historical 2,799 #1,688
1901 historical 3,428 #1,622
1911 historical 3,869 #1,341
1997 modern 4,254 #1,528
1998 modern 4,427 #1,527
1999 modern 4,424 #1,536
2000 modern 4,362 #1,548
2001 modern 4,300 #1,538
2002 modern 4,404 #1,536
2003 modern 4,271 #1,546
2004 modern 4,222 #1,563
2005 modern 4,092 #1,589
2006 modern 4,095 #1,593
2007 modern 4,155 #1,584
2008 modern 4,200 #1,579
2009 modern 4,332 #1,571
2010 modern 4,396 #1,581
2011 modern 4,311 #1,589
2012 modern 4,230 #1,590
2013 modern 4,403 #1,557
2014 modern 4,391 #1,577
2015 modern 4,338 #1,572
2016 modern 4,280 #1,586

Geography

Back to top

Where Penfolds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Horsham, Sullington, Brighton and Reigate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashford, Maidstone, Wealden, North Somerset and Rother. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Horsham, Sullington Sussex
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Reigate Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashford 011 Ashford
2 Maidstone 017 Maidstone
3 Wealden 009 Wealden
4 North Somerset 014 North Somerset
5 Rother 004 Rother

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Penfold

These lists show first names that appear often with the Penfold surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Penfold

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Penfold, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Penfold surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Penfold household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Penfold is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penfold is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Penfold falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Penfold is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Penfold, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Penfold

The surname Penfold originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "penn" meaning an enclosure or pen, and "falod" meaning a fold or enclosure for animals. This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked at a pen or fold for livestock.

Penfold is an ancient surname found in various historical records. One early reference appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where a landholder named Godric Penuuold is listed in Yorkshire. This spelling variation highlights how the name evolved over time.

Other early recorded examples include Walter Penfold in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1206, and John Penfold listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. These records demonstrate the name's presence in different regions of England during the Middle Ages.

Throughout history, the Penfold name has been associated with various places, likely derived from the surname itself. For instance, there is a Penfold Farm in Kent, and a Penfold Lane in Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, both reflecting the name's geographical spread.

Notable individuals with the surname Penfold include Sir John Penfold (1828-1909), a British civil engineer and surveyor who worked on major projects in Australia and New Zealand. Another prominent figure was William Penfold (1824-1880), an English-born Australian politician and businessman who helped establish the wine industry in South Australia.

Other individuals of note are Christina Penfold (1865-1950), a British writer and educator who authored several books on history and literature, and Robert Penfold (1811-1853), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club in the 1830s and 1840s.

Additionally, Penfold was the name of a famous cartoon character, a minor character in the British animated series Danger Mouse, which further popularized the surname in popular culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Penfold families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penfold surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 697 Penfolds recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.67x.

County Total Index
Sussex 697 16.67x
Surrey 658 5.45x
Middlesex 452 1.82x
Kent 451 5.33x
Hampshire 69 1.36x
Dorset 30 1.84x
Essex 28 0.57x
Berkshire 18 0.97x
Hertfordshire 16 0.94x
Warwickshire 14 0.22x
Gloucestershire 13 0.27x
Worcestershire 13 0.40x
Cumberland 10 0.47x
Northumberland 9 0.24x
Oxfordshire 9 0.59x
Devon 8 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 8 1.02x
Lancashire 6 0.02x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.32x
Midlothian 4 0.12x
Northamptonshire 3 0.13x
Somerset 3 0.08x
Yorkshire 3 0.01x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.41x
Monmouthshire 2 0.11x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Royal Navy 2 0.68x
Wiltshire 2 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Durham 1 0.01x
Suffolk 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 134 Penfolds recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.89x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 134 15.89x
Croydon 86 12.82x
Battersea 42 4.60x
Ifield 40 229.49x
Reigate Foreign 39 29.81x
St Marylebone London 35 2.64x
Camberwell 34 2.15x
Deptford St Paul 34 5.21x
Goudhurst 34 145.18x
Lambeth 31 1.43x
Bermondsey 30 4.06x
Horsham 30 36.94x
Worth 28 92.26x
Kingston On Thames 27 9.30x
St Pancras London 27 1.35x
Tonbridge 27 8.85x
Horley 26 128.40x
Islington London 26 1.08x
Portsea 26 2.61x
Richmond 26 15.36x
Lewisham 25 5.54x
Marden 24 120.97x
Banstead 23 70.25x
Hammersmith London 23 3.77x
Clerkenwell London 22 3.76x
Limehouse London 22 8.08x
Paddington London 22 2.41x
Preston 22 30.13x
Shilling Okeford 20 415.80x
Bexley 19 25.40x
Broadwater 19 19.81x
Shadwell London 19 27.38x
Shoreditch London 19 1.77x
Twickenham 18 16.93x
Charlwood 17 146.80x
Fernhurst 17 183.78x
Westerham 17 87.13x
Chelsea London 16 2.14x
Patcham 16 213.62x
Ashford 15 18.21x
Hawkhurst 15 57.03x
Walton On Hill 15 285.71x
Acton 14 9.63x
Carshalton 14 30.28x
Folkestone 14 8.53x
Kensington London 14 1.02x
Newington 14 1.53x
Shipley 14 147.84x
Bow London 13 4.12x
Clayton 13 82.54x
Epsom 13 22.08x
Hackney London 13 0.94x
Iford 13 844.16x
Maresfield 13 73.78x
Putney 13 11.50x
West Chiltington 13 239.85x
Dorking 12 14.79x
Lewes St John Southover 12 42.74x
Mile End Old Town 12 3.07x
Newhaven 12 35.34x
Rochester St Margaret 12 13.45x
Cuckfield 11 26.05x
Eastbourne 11 5.72x
Gillingham 11 6.31x
Hartfield 11 83.21x
Keymer 11 37.26x
Ockley 11 205.99x
Adisham 10 257.73x
Bere Regis 10 91.74x
Bethnal Green London 10 0.93x
Hove 10 5.45x
Mitcham 10 13.09x
Pulborough 10 65.15x
St George Hanover 10 3.09x
Willesden 10 4.28x
Wisborough Green 10 71.17x
Woolwich 10 3.20x
Basingstoke 9 15.40x
Whitechapel London 9 3.68x
Wimbledon 9 6.63x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Penfold surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Penfold surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 159
George 124
John 109
James 92
Henry 86
Thomas 74
Charles 48
Edward 36
Walter 32
Alfred 31
Frederick 25
Robert 25
Harry 23
Albert 22
Arthur 22
Frank 22
Richard 19
Edwin 16
Peter 16
Ernest 14
Joseph 13
Stephen 13
David 11
Thos. 9
Percy 8
Chas. 6
Jas. 6
Philip 6
Samuel 6
Geo. 5
Hugh 5
Oliver 5
Wm. 5
Abel 4
Hy. 4
Mark 4
Amos 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Fredk. 3
Tom 3
Francis 2
Hiram 2
Luke 2
Noah 2
Owen 2
Phillip 2
Saxby 2
Sidney 2
Standing 2

FAQ

Penfold surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penfold surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,540 people were recorded with the Penfold surname. That placed it at #1,758 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penfold surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,280 in 2016. That gives Penfold a modern rank of #1,586.

What does the Penfold surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with an enclosure or fold for animals.

What does the Penfold map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Penfold bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.