NameCensus.

UK surname

Penhaligon

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Penhaligon surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 297, ranked #14,839, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bodmin, Truro St Mary and Kenwyn, Tregavethan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penhaligon is 313 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 312.5%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

297

2016, ranked #14,839

Peak year

2013

313 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penhaligon had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016, ranked #14,839.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 112 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Penhaligon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penhaligon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Penhaligon 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 22 #29,378
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 112 #21,382
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 272 #14,451
1998 modern 273 #14,803
1999 modern 288 #14,346
2000 modern 291 #14,200
2001 modern 292 #13,967
2002 modern 295 #14,146
2003 modern 290 #14,134
2004 modern 293 #14,082
2005 modern 287 #14,216
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 293 #14,272
2008 modern 293 #14,364
2009 modern 298 #14,480
2010 modern 302 #14,661
2011 modern 294 #14,798
2012 modern 295 #14,670
2013 modern 313 #14,299
2014 modern 305 #14,678
2015 modern 302 #14,687
2016 modern 297 #14,839

Geography

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Where Penhaligons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bodmin, Truro St Mary, Kenwyn, Tregavethan, Gerrans and St Clement. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Bodmin Cornwall
2 Truro St Mary Cornwall
3 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall
4 Gerrans Cornwall
5 St Clement Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 043 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 044 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 024 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 042 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Penhaligon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Penhaligon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Penhaligon, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Penhaligon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penhaligon is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Penhaligon falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Penhaligon 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 Penhaligon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Penhaligon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penhaligon 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. Cornwall leads with 66 Penhaligons recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.01x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 66 83.01x
Middlesex 6 0.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Truro St Mary in Cornwall leads with 21 Penhaligons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3134.33x.

Place Total Index
Truro St Mary 21 3134.33x
St Clement 14 1686.75x
Madron Penzance 11 380.62x
Bodmin 7 530.30x
Menheniot 6 1818.18x
St Pancras London 6 10.61x
St Ewe 2 833.33x
Creed 1 1666.67x
Egloshayle 1 270.27x
Feock 1 200.00x
Kenwyn 1 48.08x
St Just In Roseland 1 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Mary 5
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Grace 2
Kate 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Bessie 1
C. 1
Cecilia 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hilda 1
Ida 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Maud 1
Prudence 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Richard 6
Thomas 4
Charles 2
James 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
George 1
Harry 1
John 1
Richd. 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Penhaligon households.

FAQ

Penhaligon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penhaligon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Penhaligon surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penhaligon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016. That gives Penhaligon a modern rank of #14,839.

What does the Penhaligon map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Penhaligon 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.