NameCensus.

UK surname

Pennock

A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near a hill or beacon.

In the 1881 census there were 473 people recorded with the Pennock surname, ranking it #7,057 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 904, ranked #6,283, up from #7,057 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Pickering and Jarrow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Sunderland and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pennock is 995 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.1%.

1881 census count

473

Ranked #7,057

Modern count

904

2016, ranked #6,283

Peak year

2000

995 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pennock had 473 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,057 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 904 in 2016, ranked #6,283.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 798 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pennock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pennock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pennock 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 339 #6,922
1861 historical 352 #7,258
1881 historical 473 #7,057
1891 historical 646 #6,010
1901 historical 762 #5,863
1911 historical 798 #5,480
1997 modern 956 #5,688
1998 modern 983 #5,753
1999 modern 984 #5,787
2000 modern 995 #5,713
2001 modern 982 #5,657
2002 modern 982 #5,784
2003 modern 949 #5,838
2004 modern 925 #5,951
2005 modern 907 #5,991
2006 modern 916 #5,958
2007 modern 923 #5,971
2008 modern 938 #5,940
2009 modern 951 #5,994
2010 modern 971 #6,015
2011 modern 961 #6,013
2012 modern 929 #6,098
2013 modern 936 #6,166
2014 modern 945 #6,151
2015 modern 912 #6,268
2016 modern 904 #6,283

Geography

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Where Pennocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Pickering, Jarrow, Gateshead and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Sunderland and Ryedale. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Pickering Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Jarrow Durham
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 004 Scarborough
2 Sunderland 005 Sunderland
3 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
4 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
5 Sunderland 004 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pennock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pennock

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Pennock is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pennock 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

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

Meaning and origin of Pennock

The surname Pennock is of English origin, and it first appeared in the county of Lancashire during the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "penn" meaning a hill or pen, and "ac" meaning an oak, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near an oak tree on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pennock surname can be found in the Chartulary of Whalley Abbey, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions a certain William Pennock, who lived in the village of Pendleton near Manchester.

During the 16th century, the Pennock family established themselves in the village of Samlesbury, also in Lancashire. The parish registers of Samlesbury Church contain numerous entries for individuals with the Pennock surname from this period.

In the 17th century, the Pennocks began to spread across England, with several members of the family settling in the county of Yorkshire. One notable figure from this time was Robert Pennock, born in 1617, who became a prominent Quaker preacher and author.

As the Pennock family continued to grow and disperse, they left their mark in various regions of England. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the town of Leyland, Lancashire, where they played a significant role in the local community. John Pennock, born in 1732, served as a respected magistrate and landowner in the area.

The 19th century saw the Pennock surname spread even further, with members of the family migrating to other parts of the world, particularly North America. One such individual was Samuel Pennock, born in 1793 in Yorkshire, who emigrated to the United States and became a successful businessman in Philadelphia.

Throughout its long history, the Pennock surname has been associated with a number of notable figures across various fields. These include William Pennock, born in 1815, who was a prominent English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the Victorian era, and Mary Pennock, born in 1860, an American author and educator who wrote extensively on social and educational reform.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pennock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pennock 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 324 Pennocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.07x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 324 7.07x
Essex 47 5.15x
Durham 27 1.96x
Lancashire 21 0.38x
Northumberland 17 2.47x
Kent 8 0.51x
Surrey 8 0.36x
Suffolk 6 1.07x
Middlesex 5 0.11x
Warwickshire 3 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.68x
Hampshire 2 0.21x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beeston in Yorkshire leads with 20 Pennocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 431.97x.

Place Total Index
Beeston 20 431.97x
Pickering 20 346.62x
Scarborough 17 40.84x
Skelton In Guisbrough 15 121.07x
Whitby 15 97.15x
Goathland 13 1604.94x
Westoe 12 15.39x
Falsgrave 11 162.96x
Allerston 9 1285.71x
Snilesworth 9 5625.00x
Cropton 8 1428.57x
Fylingdales 8 350.88x
Guisbrough 8 79.92x
Hutton Bushell 8 1012.66x
Kirby Fleetham 8 909.09x
Newholme Cum Dunsley 8 1269.84x
Rivenhall 8 733.95x
Toxteth Park 8 4.31x
Aldbrough In Richmond 7 1111.11x
Goldhanger 7 886.08x
Hatfield Peverel 7 355.33x
Ormesby 7 56.86x
Westerdale 7 1666.67x
Westgate 7 16.43x
Brompton In Scarborough 6 550.46x
Feering 6 500.00x
Great Coggeshall 6 126.32x
High Low Bishopside 6 147.78x
Ipswich St Clement 6 41.90x
Lofthouse 6 87.72x
Middlesbrough 6 10.06x
Ruswarp 6 117.65x
Seaton Wassand 6 895.52x
Southwick 6 46.05x
Uckerby 6 10000.00x
West Hanningfield 6 882.35x
Brotton 5 83.61x
Great Habton Little 5 1428.57x
Newington 5 39.62x
Seamer In Scarborough 5 337.84x
Tooting Graveney 5 79.74x
Wortley In Bramley 5 13.78x
York St Mary 5 26.34x
Cowpen 4 25.25x
Eskdaleside 4 177.78x
Hartoft 4 1739.13x
Lamesley 4 54.05x
Manchester 4 1.62x
Mayland 4 1025.64x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 19.65x
Eltham 3 32.47x
Glaisdale 3 171.43x
Hulme 3 2.62x
Ilkley 3 40.05x
Kensington London 3 1.17x
Linthorpe 3 10.97x
Moulton 3 681.82x
North Shields 3 21.85x
Rugby 3 19.02x
Spaunton 3 2142.86x
Beeford 2 176.99x
Bishopwearmouth 2 1.69x
Camberwell 2 0.68x
Cawthorn In Pickering 2 5000.00x
Chelmsford 2 12.77x
Egton 2 99.50x
Everton 2 1.14x
Hutton Le Hole 2 465.12x
Marske In Guisbrough 2 24.57x
Pendleton In Salford 2 3.06x
St Andrewthe Less 2 5.98x
Wallsend 2 9.17x
West Derby 2 1.25x
Wetwang 2 202.02x
York St George 2 55.40x
Clifton In York 1 10.44x
Lockngtn In Kilnwck 1 123.46x
Minster In Sheppey 1 3.83x
Portsea 1 0.54x
Swansea Town 1 1.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 35
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 18
Jane 15
Hannah 14
Ann 12
Margaret 12
Eliza 8
Alice 6
Ellen 5
Ruth 5
Agnes 4
Emily 4
Isabella 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Emma 3
Frances 3
Grace 3
Kate 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Christiana 2
Fanny 2
Isabel 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Christeana 1
Dinah 1
Dorothea 1
Elennor 1
Eliva 1
Elsie 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Euphemia 1
Faith 1
Isabell 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lesly 1
Lily 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 41
William 36
Thomas 19
James 17
George 16
Robert 13
Richard 8
Charles 7
Francis 4
Harry 4
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Stephen 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Mathew 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Augustus 1
Austin 1
Bennett 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Golden 1
H.L. 1
Harrison 1
Harvey 1
Isaac 1
Isacc 1
Job 1
Jothan 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Miles 1
Nesswell 1
Percey 1
Rodger 1
Roert 1
Samuel 1
Snowball 1
Stockton 1
Thos. 1
Watson 1

FAQ

Pennock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pennock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 473 people were recorded with the Pennock surname. That placed it at #7,057 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pennock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 904 in 2016. That gives Pennock a modern rank of #6,283.

What does the Pennock surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near a hill or beacon.

What does the Pennock map show?

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