NameCensus.

UK surname

Pennycook

An occupational surname for a cook of simple and inexpensive foods.

In the 1881 census there were 454 people recorded with the Pennycook surname, ranking it #7,280 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 474, ranked #10,385, down from #7,280 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Currie, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Alyth, Thornton and Kinglassie and Coupar Angus and Meigle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pennycook is 587 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.4%.

1881 census count

454

Ranked #7,280

Modern count

474

2016, ranked #10,385

Peak year

1901

587 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pennycook had 454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,280 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 474 in 2016, ranked #10,385.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 587 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Pennycook surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pennycook surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pennycook 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 193 #10,704
1861 historical 251 #9,830
1881 historical 454 #7,280
1891 historical 473 #7,758
1901 historical 587 #7,189
1911 historical 83 #24,531
1997 modern 417 #10,674
1998 modern 435 #10,678
1999 modern 450 #10,451
2000 modern 467 #10,144
2001 modern 459 #10,082
2002 modern 465 #10,163
2003 modern 462 #10,045
2004 modern 477 #9,833
2005 modern 469 #9,892
2006 modern 467 #9,969
2007 modern 481 #9,844
2008 modern 489 #9,808
2009 modern 502 #9,818
2010 modern 509 #9,916
2011 modern 492 #10,072
2012 modern 475 #10,232
2013 modern 472 #10,450
2014 modern 477 #10,444
2015 modern 483 #10,264
2016 modern 474 #10,385

Geography

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Where Pennycooks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Currie, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Alyth, Thornton and Kinglassie, Coupar Angus and Meigle, Pollokshields West and North Leith and Newhaven. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Currie Edinburgh
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Alyth Perth and Kinross
2 Thornton and Kinglassie Fife
3 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross
4 Pollokshields West Glasgow City
5 North Leith and Newhaven City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pennycook

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pennycook

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Pennycook surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Pennycook 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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, Pennycook 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

Pennycook is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pennycook falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pennycook

The surname Pennycook is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. The name is derived from the Old English words "pening" meaning "penny" and "coc" meaning "cook" or "baker". This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who was a baker or a cook whose services were paid for with a penny.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pennycook appears in the parish records of St. Michael-le-Belfrey in York, where a John Pennycook was christened in 1592. Another early reference can be found in the Hearth Tax records of 1673, which list a Thomas Pennycook as a resident of Oldham, Lancashire.

The name Pennycook is also linked to several place names in England, such as Pennycook Farm in Cumbria and Pennycook Lane in Lancashire. These place names likely derived their names from individuals bearing the Pennycook surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Pennycook. One of the earliest was Sir William Pennycook (1628-1687), an English merchant and member of the East India Company who played a significant role in the establishment of British trade in India. Another notable figure was John Pennycook (1763-1849), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, James Pennycook (1811-1879) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Balmoral Hotel and the Caledonian Railway Station. His son, Lister Turvill Pennycook (1857-1929), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned architect in his own right.

More recently, Sir John Pennycook (1904-1983) was a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of Bermuda from 1954 to 1957 and the Governor of Tasmania from 1963 to 1968.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Pennycook. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, referring to bakers or cooks, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, military personnel, architects, and civil servants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pennycook families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pennycook 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. Midlothian leads with 174 Pennycooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.46x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 174 29.46x
Angus 63 15.42x
Perthshire 63 31.83x
Lanarkshire 46 3.23x
Lancashire 17 0.32x
Roxburghshire 13 16.28x
Fife 11 4.21x
West Lothian 10 15.06x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.51x
Middlesex 8 0.18x
Northumberland 7 1.07x
Selkirkshire 5 12.53x
Stirlingshire 5 3.07x
Surrey 5 0.23x
Dunbartonshire 4 3.38x
Renfrewshire 4 1.17x
Peeblesshire 2 9.64x
Ayrshire 1 0.30x
Clackmannanshire 1 2.75x
Dorset 1 0.35x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.03x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Kinross-shire 1 8.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 55 Pennycooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.14x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 55 23.14x
Dundee 44 28.85x
Lasswade 31 229.46x
Blairgowrie 26 332.06x
Currie 22 607.73x
Glasgow 14 5.53x
Rattray 13 282.00x
Carnwath 11 124.72x
Edinburgh St Stephens 10 85.98x
Barony 9 2.49x
Dalmeny 9 354.33x
Kinnoull 9 173.08x
Mansfield 9 43.75x
Colinton 8 121.40x
Duddingston 8 67.45x
Liverpool 8 2.52x
Toxteth Park 8 4.52x
Auchterderran 7 106.71x
Hawick 7 39.17x
Kettins 7 510.95x
Westminster St James 7 15.44x
Edinburgh Tron Church 6 216.61x
Liberton 6 65.79x
South Leith 6 9.03x
Westgate 6 14.77x
Wiston Robertson 6 705.88x
Clunie 5 568.18x
Edinburgh Old 5 139.66x
Liff Benvie 5 8.06x
Little Dunkeld 5 148.81x
Melrose 5 49.80x
Rotherhithe 5 9.18x
Borthwick 4 151.52x
Cathcart 4 21.63x
Govan 4 1.13x
Kirkintilloch 4 24.84x
Cargill 3 145.63x
Cockpen 3 43.48x
Denny 3 34.68x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 3 21.47x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 3 73.35x
Kelso 3 37.69x
Monifieth 3 20.79x
Wemyss 3 27.17x
Arbroath 2 14.77x
Douglas 2 48.66x
Edinburgh Old Church 2 42.19x
Peebles 2 32.63x
Wilton 2 22.83x
Alloa 1 5.66x
Carriden 1 33.22x
Dumfries 1 10.41x
Eassie Nevay 1 117.65x
Edinburgh High Church 1 26.95x
Errol 1 27.25x
Falkirk 1 2.63x
Ford 1 41.67x
Kinross 1 26.18x
Kippen 1 45.66x
Melrose 1 14.47x
Montrose 1 4.04x
Old Cumnock 1 13.61x
Penicuik 1 12.45x
Perth West Church 1 10.65x
Portland 1 6.43x
Portsea 1 0.56x
St Andrews 1 8.42x
Stoke Newington London 1 2.91x
West Derby 1 0.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Charlotte 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Mary 2
Rebecca 2
Amiela 1
Andrina 1
Annie 1
Elizabet 1
Emma 1
Isabella 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

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

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 Pennycook households.

FAQ

Pennycook surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pennycook surname in 1881?

In 1881, 454 people were recorded with the Pennycook surname. That placed it at #7,280 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pennycook surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 474 in 2016. That gives Pennycook a modern rank of #10,385.

What does the Pennycook surname mean?

An occupational surname for a cook of simple and inexpensive foods.

What does the Pennycook map show?

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