NameCensus.

UK surname

Pennington

A locational surname derived from places in Cumbria and Lancashire, England, meaning "estate of Penna's people."

In the 1881 census there were 4,446 people recorded with the Pennington surname, ranking it #1,010 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,030, ranked #1,117, down from #1,010 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Wigan and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pennington is 6,428 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.6%.

1881 census count

4,446

Ranked #1,010

Modern count

6,030

2016, ranked #1,117

Peak year

1999

6,428 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pennington had 4,446 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,010 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,030 in 2016, ranked #1,117.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,299 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Pennington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pennington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pennington 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 1,952 #1,486
1861 historical 2,287 #1,287
1881 historical 4,446 #1,010
1891 historical 4,802 #966
1901 historical 5,877 #946
1911 historical 6,299 #816
1997 modern 6,063 #1,082
1998 modern 6,253 #1,089
1999 modern 6,428 #1,071
2000 modern 6,394 #1,067
2001 modern 6,263 #1,068
2002 modern 6,373 #1,073
2003 modern 6,197 #1,079
2004 modern 6,186 #1,081
2005 modern 6,030 #1,088
2006 modern 5,979 #1,093
2007 modern 5,983 #1,103
2008 modern 5,997 #1,107
2009 modern 6,213 #1,097
2010 modern 6,397 #1,087
2011 modern 6,256 #1,094
2012 modern 6,035 #1,111
2013 modern 6,147 #1,109
2014 modern 6,178 #1,111
2015 modern 6,098 #1,113
2016 modern 6,030 #1,117

Geography

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Where Penningtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Wigan, Manchester, Bolton-le-Moors and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens and Wigan. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
2 Wigan 024 Wigan
3 Wigan 018 Wigan
4 Wigan 011 Wigan
5 St. Helens 019 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pennington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pennington

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pennington, 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 Pennington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pennington 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Pennington is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pennington is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pennington falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pennington is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pennington

The surname Pennington is of English origin, derived from the place name Pennington, which is found in various locations across England. The name is believed to have originated during the Anglo-Saxon period, possibly in the 7th or 8th century.

The name Pennington is thought to be derived from the Old English words "Penning" and "tun," which together mean "the farmstead or village of Penning." The word "Penning" was likely an Old English personal name, but its exact meaning is uncertain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pennington can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book includes references to various locations with the name Pennington.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named William de Pennington is mentioned in records related to Lancashire, England. He was likely a landowner or nobleman associated with the village of Pennington.

During the 13th century, a member of the Pennington family, Sir John de Pennington (c. 1230-1302), served as the Sheriff of Cumberland and held significant landholdings in the region.

Another prominent individual with the surname Pennington was Sir Isaac Pennington (1584-1661), an English politician and Lord Mayor of London. He played a crucial role in the English Civil War and was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause.

In the 18th century, Thomas Pennington (1726-1783) was a notable English botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification.

The surname Pennington has also been associated with other notable individuals throughout history, such as William Pennington (1875-1949), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and Melissa Pennington (born 1982), an American actress and model.

While the surname Pennington has its roots in England, it has since become widespread and can be found in various parts of the world due to migration and various historical events.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pennington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pennington 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. Lancashire leads with 2,600 Penningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.07x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,600 5.07x
Yorkshire 379 0.88x
Cheshire 300 3.14x
Middlesex 209 0.48x
Devon 171 1.90x
Staffordshire 144 0.99x
Surrey 90 0.43x
Westmorland 75 7.89x
Cumberland 70 1.88x
Lincolnshire 46 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 41 0.70x
Warwickshire 29 0.27x
Gloucestershire 26 0.31x
Worcestershire 26 0.46x
Durham 23 0.18x
Kent 19 0.13x
Hampshire 18 0.20x
Derbyshire 14 0.21x
Cornwall 13 0.27x
Glamorgan 13 0.17x
Somerset 13 0.19x
Herefordshire 12 0.68x
Hertfordshire 12 0.40x
Lanarkshire 11 0.08x
Norfolk 10 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.31x
Essex 8 0.09x
Monmouthshire 8 0.26x
Sussex 8 0.11x
Dorset 4 0.14x
Midlothian 4 0.07x
Suffolk 4 0.08x
Angus 3 0.07x
Northumberland 3 0.05x
Peeblesshire 3 1.47x
Royal Navy 3 0.58x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.21x
Leicestershire 2 0.04x
Shropshire 2 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.29x
Renfrewshire 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. Ashton In Makerfield in Lancashire leads with 116 Penningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 79.37x.

Place Total Index
Ashton In Makerfield 116 79.37x
Orrell 110 172.39x
Stoke Upon Trent 88 5.68x
Pemberton 87 42.51x
Salford 84 5.56x
Toxteth Park 72 4.14x
Windle 72 24.93x
Eccleston In Prescot 67 26.00x
West Derby 66 4.40x
Liverpool 54 1.73x
Parr 54 29.41x
Preston 51 3.71x
Everton 50 3.06x
Barrow In Furness 44 6.30x
Gorton 42 8.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 38 3.39x
Manchester 37 1.60x
Newton In Makerfield 36 22.91x
Sutton 36 20.91x
Warrington 36 5.92x
Kendal 35 20.11x
Farnworth 34 11.06x
Kirkdale 34 3.94x
Little Bolton 34 5.15x
Widnes 34 9.18x
Hackney London 31 1.28x
North Meols 31 6.17x
Billinge Higher End 29 139.49x
Leeds 29 1.20x
Worsley 29 9.17x
Oldham 28 1.69x
Burslem 27 6.46x
Stretford 27 9.56x
Golborne 26 38.87x
Newington 26 1.63x
Rainford 26 46.84x
Westhoughton 26 18.98x
Atherton 25 13.38x
Great Bolton 24 3.53x
Hartland 24 85.62x
Lancaster 24 7.86x
Ulverston 24 16.05x
Wigan 24 3.35x
Alwington 23 412.19x
Ince In Makerfield 23 9.63x
Kettleshulme 23 470.35x
Pendleton In Salford 22 3.60x
Castleford 21 13.45x
Dukinfield 21 4.76x
Hindley 21 9.60x
Little Woolton 21 142.08x
Ormskirk 21 21.38x
Walton On Hill 21 7.55x
Worksop 21 12.15x
Manningham 20 3.79x
Newton 20 5.06x
Upholland 20 30.41x
Billinge Chapel End 19 65.97x
Chadderton 19 7.57x
Hyde 19 6.74x
Islington London 19 0.45x
Bury 18 3.07x
Ecclesall Bierlow 18 2.06x
Pilkington 18 9.23x
West Bromwich 18 2.15x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 17 2.13x
Stoke Damerel 17 2.70x
Barton Upon Irwell 16 4.14x
Blackburn 16 1.17x
Bootle Cum Linacre 16 3.93x
Chelsea London 16 1.23x
Dalton In Furness 16 8.08x
Paddington London 16 1.01x
Aspull 15 12.42x
Heaton Norris 15 5.13x
Hulme 15 1.40x
Rugby 15 10.16x
Standish With Langtree 15 23.73x
St Giles In Fields 14 9.38x
Westleigh 14 12.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 368
Elizabeth 193
Sarah 166
Jane 116
Ann 106
Alice 93
Ellen 92
Margaret 88
Martha 66
Annie 64
Hannah 43
Emma 38
Eliza 34
Agnes 31
Emily 28
Ada 25
Catherine 23
Louisa 20
Clara 19
Anne 18
Edith 18
Fanny 18
Florence 16
Elizth. 15
Harriet 15
Isabella 15
Maria 15
Charlotte 14
Esther 13
Susannah 12
Eleanor 11
Betsy 10
Harriett 10
Frances 9
Susan 9
Amy 8
Caroline 8
Gertrude 8
Margret 8
Rachel 7
Rebecca 7
Rose 7
Grace 6
Julia 6
Kate 6
Maud 6
Ruth 6
Selina 6
Anna 5
Margt. 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 332
William 257
Thomas 199
James 193
George 106
Joseph 100
Henry 86
Charles 63
Richard 60
Samuel 56
Edward 51
Robert 47
Arthur 39
Alfred 36
Peter 30
Walter 30
Albert 24
Thos. 22
Frederick 21
Harry 20
Wm. 17
Fred 16
Frank 15
David 14
Ernest 12
Francis 12
Herbert 12
Benjamin 11
Daniel 8
Edwin 7
Isaac 7
Jno. 7
Abel 6
Chas. 6
Geo. 6
Jas. 6
Levi 6
Matthew 6
Paul 6
Andrew 5
Edwd. 5
Hugh 5
Philip 5
Richd. 5
Robt. 5
Saml. 5
Harold 4
Isiah 4
Lewis 4
Ralph 4

FAQ

Pennington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pennington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,446 people were recorded with the Pennington surname. That placed it at #1,010 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pennington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,030 in 2016. That gives Pennington a modern rank of #1,117.

What does the Pennington surname mean?

A locational surname derived from places in Cumbria and Lancashire, England, meaning "estate of Penna's people."

What does the Pennington map show?

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