NameCensus.

UK surname

Penniston

A surname possibly derived from the English place name 'Pendleston'.

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Penniston surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Saxby and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Melton, Central Bedfordshire and Epping Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penniston is 133 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.9%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

2004

133 bearers

Map years

4

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penniston had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Penniston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penniston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Penniston 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 83 #26,376
1901 historical 70 #26,383
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 133 #23,528
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Pennistons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Saxby, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Melton, Central Bedfordshire, Epping Forest, Boston and West Lindsey. 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 Saxby Leicestershire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Melton 004 Melton
2 Central Bedfordshire 008 Central Bedfordshire
3 Epping Forest 010 Epping Forest
4 Boston 004 Boston
5 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Penniston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Penniston

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Penniston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Penniston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Penniston is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penniston 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

Penniston falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Penniston is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Penniston

The surname PENNISTON is of English origin, derived from the Old English "penn" meaning a pen or enclosure for animals, and "tun" meaning a farm or settlement. It likely originated as a place name in medieval England, referring to a farm or village with an animal enclosure or pen.

The earliest recorded instances of the PENNISTON surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various county records and tax rolls. It was particularly prevalent in northern England, particularly Yorkshire, where many places had names derived from Old English words related to animal pens or enclosures.

One of the earliest known bearers of the PENNISTON name was John Penniston, a landowner recorded in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines in 1301. Another early record is that of William Penniston, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

While the PENNISTON surname does not appear in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, it is likely derived from one of the many place names recorded in that important historical document, such as Pennington or Peniston.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the PENNISTON surname. One such figure was Sir Thomas Penniston (1615-1687), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in the late 17th century.

Another prominent PENNISTON was John Penniston (1755-1820), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler of Ohio. He fought in several battles and was later granted land in the Northwest Territory for his service.

In the 19th century, William Penniston (1818-1889) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia, who funded the establishment of Penniston Seminary, a prestigious school for girls.

One of the most famous bearers of the PENNISTON name was the British explorer and writer, Agnes Penniston (1870-1952), who was one of the first women to travel extensively in the Middle East and wrote several books about her adventures.

Finally, James Penniston (1902-1982) was a notable Scottish footballer who played as a defender for several clubs, including Rangers and Scotland's national team, in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Penniston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penniston 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. Yorkshire leads with 50 Pennistons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 50 5.12x
Leicestershire 20 18.31x
Derbyshire 8 5.19x
Middlesex 7 0.71x
Nottinghamshire 5 3.77x
Rutland 5 69.16x
Lincolnshire 3 1.90x
Cheshire 1 0.46x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Staffordshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 10 Pennistons recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.14x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 10 18.14x
Garthorpe 9 22500.00x
Exelby Leeming Newton 8 3478.26x
Sandiacre 8 1454.55x
Potter Newton 7 406.98x
Leicester St Margaret 6 22.53x
Snaith Cowick 6 1034.48x
Holbeck 5 77.28x
Hunslet 5 32.85x
Nottingham St Mary 5 14.56x
St Marylebone London 5 9.51x
Uppingham 5 581.40x
Cridling Stubbs 4 4444.44x
Shipley 3 59.17x
Wymondham 3 1363.64x
Pinchbeck 2 198.02x
Poplar London 2 10.76x
Sheffield 2 6.44x
Ab Kettleby 1 1250.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 3.91x
Bollington In 1 51.55x
Leicester St Mary 1 11.34x
Rolleston 1 384.62x
Thurlby Obthorpe 1 476.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
George 5
William 5
John 4
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Thomas 2
Clarke 1
David 1
Edwd. 1
Elizabeth 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
James 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Nahum 1
Philip 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Penniston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penniston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Penniston surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penniston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Penniston a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Penniston surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from the English place name 'Pendleston'.

What does the Penniston map show?

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