NameCensus.

UK surname

Penna

A surname of Italian or Portuguese origin meaning "feather" or "quill pen".

In the 1881 census there were 205 people recorded with the Penna surname, ranking it #12,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 289, ranked #15,137, down from #12,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Redruth, Feock and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penna is 296 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.0%.

1881 census count

205

Ranked #12,643

Modern count

289

2016, ranked #15,137

Peak year

2002

296 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penna had 205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016, ranked #15,137.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Penna surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penna surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Penna 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 141 #16,072
1881 historical 205 #12,643
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 215 #14,478
1911 historical 255 #12,719
1997 modern 268 #14,585
1998 modern 268 #14,978
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 274 #14,796
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 296 #14,110
2003 modern 266 #14,987
2004 modern 258 #15,386
2005 modern 261 #15,216
2006 modern 264 #15,170
2007 modern 257 #15,606
2008 modern 258 #15,732
2009 modern 276 #15,300
2010 modern 283 #15,363
2011 modern 274 #15,571
2012 modern 279 #15,289
2013 modern 286 #15,259
2014 modern 287 #15,342
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 289 #15,137

Geography

Back to top

Where Pennas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Redruth, Feock, London parishes, Mylor and Brancepeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon and 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 Redruth Cornwall
2 Feock Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Mylor Cornwall
5 Brancepeth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 002 West Devon
2 Cornwall 033 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 032 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 049 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 056 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Penna

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Penna

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Penna, 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 Penna surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Penna 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Penna is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penna is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Penna 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 Penna 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 Penna, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Penna

The surname Penna has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "penna," which means "feather" or "pen." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the production or trade of feathers or writing implements.

The earliest recorded instances of the Penna surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. Some historical documents from this period mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Pennacchi and Pennacchini.

One notable historical figure bearing the Penna surname was Giovanni Battista Penna, a renowned Italian painter who lived from 1548 to 1624. He was known for his religious artworks and frescoes adorning churches in Rome and other Italian cities.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Gian Lorenzo Penna, an Italian architect and engineer who lived from 1658 to 1708. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Rome, including the Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale.

In the 18th century, Giuseppe Penna, an Italian mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in 1714 and lived until 1798.

During the Renaissance period, the Penna family was known to have connections with the influential Medici family in Florence. Some records from this time mention a Francesco Penna, who served as a courtier and advisor to the Medici rulers.

The name Penna has also been associated with various place names in Italy, such as Penna San Giovanni, a town in the Marche region, and Penna in Teverina, a municipality in the province of Terni. These place names may have influenced the surname's origin and spread throughout different regions of the country.

While the Penna surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and South America, due to Italian immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Penna families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penna 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 165 Pennas recorded in 1881 and an index of 72.88x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 165 72.88x
Durham 21 3.53x
Cumberland 8 4.65x
Surrey 6 0.62x
Caernarfonshire 3 3.71x
Kent 1 0.15x
Middlesex 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Perranzabuloe in Cornwall leads with 78 Pennas recorded in 1881 and an index of 4000.00x.

Place Total Index
Perranzabuloe 78 4000.00x
Kenwyn 20 337.84x
Redruth 13 203.13x
Helmington Row 12 433.21x
Mylor 9 592.11x
Willington 9 261.63x
St Clement 8 338.98x
Millom 7 132.58x
Feock 6 422.54x
Liskeard 6 158.31x
Truro St Mary 6 315.79x
Clapham 5 20.00x
Mawgan In Pyder 5 1041.67x
Falmouth 3 37.45x
Gwennap 3 70.26x
Kea 3 177.51x
Llanengan 3 309.28x
St Austell 3 38.76x
Bexley 1 16.58x
Egloshayle 1 94.34x
Lambeth 1 0.57x
Paul 1 24.33x
St Botolph Aldgate 1 36.63x
Waberthwaite 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 6
Annie 5
Frances 4
Maria 4
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Honor 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Nanny 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Christian 1
Constance 1
Diana 1
E.J. 1
Elezabeth 1
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Katherine 1
Katie 1
Lavinia 1
M.J. 1
Margaretta 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Phillippa 1
Salome 1
Silvia 1
Tabitha 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Penna surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penna surname in 1881?

In 1881, 205 people were recorded with the Penna surname. That placed it at #12,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penna surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016. That gives Penna a modern rank of #15,137.

What does the Penna surname mean?

A surname of Italian or Portuguese origin meaning "feather" or "quill pen".

What does the Penna map show?

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