NameCensus.

UK surname

Penrice

An English surname derived from the Welsh place name Pen-rhuddgoch, meaning "the red headland".

In the 1881 census there were 264 people recorded with the Penrice surname, ranking it #10,655 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 399, ranked #11,902, down from #10,655 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlaston, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Broomfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale and Thornton and Kinglassie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penrice is 414 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.1%.

1881 census count

264

Ranked #10,655

Modern count

399

2016, ranked #11,902

Peak year

2014

414 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penrice had 264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,655 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016, ranked #11,902.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 320 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Penrice surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penrice surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Penrice 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 187 #10,978
1861 historical 145 #15,715
1881 historical 264 #10,655
1891 historical 298 #11,167
1901 historical 312 #11,339
1911 historical 320 #10,932
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 389 #11,594
1999 modern 384 #11,800
2000 modern 393 #11,540
2001 modern 384 #11,565
2002 modern 386 #11,740
2003 modern 365 #12,038
2004 modern 361 #12,175
2005 modern 364 #12,008
2006 modern 378 #11,714
2007 modern 380 #11,820
2008 modern 378 #11,993
2009 modern 390 #11,950
2010 modern 392 #12,186
2011 modern 390 #12,089
2012 modern 377 #12,238
2013 modern 403 #11,850
2014 modern 414 #11,708
2015 modern 407 #11,760
2016 modern 399 #11,902

Geography

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Where Penrices are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlaston, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Broomfield, Holme Cultram and Stoke Prior. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale and Thornton and Kinglassie. 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 Darlaston Staffordshire
2 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
3 Broomfield Cumberland
4 Holme Cultram Cumberland
5 Stoke Prior Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
2 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
3 Thornton and Kinglassie Fife
4 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
5 Allerdale 008 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Penrice

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Penrice

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Penrice is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penrice 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

Penrice falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Penrice 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 Penrice, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Penrice

The surname Penrice originated in Cornwall, England, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Cornish place name "Penryn," which means "promontory" or "headland." The name likely referred to an individual or family who resided near or came from the town of Penryn in Cornwall.

Penryn is an ancient town located on the Penryn River, and records indicate that the name Penrice was in use as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from 1284, where a person named John de Penrys is mentioned.

The Penrice surname has also been recorded with various spellings over the centuries, including Penrise, Penryce, and Penrys. These variations were common in early English records due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named William de Penrys was listed as a landowner in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1327. This record suggests that the Penrice family held a prominent position in the local community during that time.

Another historically significant individual bearing the Penrice surname was Sir Thomas Penrice (c. 1520-1589), a Welsh politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Haverfordwest in the 16th century.

During the 17th century, a branch of the Penrice family established themselves in Oxfordshire, and one of their descendants, Reverend John Penrice (1667-1727), became a notable clergyman and author. He wrote several religious works, including a renowned treatise titled "A Modest Vindication of the Church of England."

In the 18th century, Richard Penrice (1724-1793) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Carmarthen Circuit in Wales.

Another notable figure was Sir Charles Penrice (1796-1873), a Welsh landowner and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the coal and iron industries in South Wales during the Industrial Revolution.

Throughout its history, the Penrice surname has been associated with various locations and families across Cornwall, Wales, and parts of England, reflecting the diverse origins and migrations of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Penrice families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penrice 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. Cumberland leads with 82 Penrices recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.99x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 82 36.99x
Worcestershire 65 19.33x
Staffordshire 27 3.11x
Lanarkshire 23 2.76x
Warwickshire 16 2.46x
Norfolk 13 3.28x
Lancashire 12 0.39x
Devon 7 1.31x
Ayrshire 3 1.56x
Berkshire 3 1.55x
Suffolk 3 0.96x
Derbyshire 2 0.50x
Hampshire 2 0.38x
Middlesex 2 0.08x
Glamorgan 1 0.22x
Gloucestershire 1 0.20x
Kent 1 0.11x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromsgrove in Worcestershire leads with 31 Penrices recorded in 1881 and an index of 273.85x.

Place Total Index
Bromsgrove 31 273.85x
Low Holme 17 1360.00x
Darlaston 16 133.22x
Bothwell 15 66.40x
Workington 15 118.20x
Birmingham 11 5.08x
Crosscanonby 8 109.14x
Shotts 8 80.24x
Cradley 7 230.26x
Flimby 7 374.33x
Stoke Prior 7 338.16x
West Newton Allonby 7 909.09x
Compton Gifford 6 357.14x
Distington 6 526.32x
Dodderhill 6 419.58x
Hanbury 6 659.34x
Tardebigg 6 1176.47x
Aston 5 2.80x
Dalton In Furness 5 42.37x
Preston 5 6.12x
Eaton St Andrew 4 363.64x
Kinver 4 159.36x
Langrigg Mealrigg 4 1666.67x
Walsall Foreign 4 8.91x
Aspatria 3 140.85x
Dearham 3 102.74x
Gilcrux 3 666.67x
Kingswinford 3 9.51x
Little Plumstead 3 1034.48x
Muirkirk 3 66.23x
Newbury 3 48.47x
Somerleyton 3 566.04x
Trowse Cum Newton 3 306.12x
Bothel Threapland 2 571.43x
Bramerton 2 909.09x
Harrington 2 74.63x
St George Hanover 2 5.95x
Bassenthwaite 1 222.22x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 1 232.56x
Brackenthwaite 1 1000.00x
Chaddesden 1 185.19x
Derby St Werburgh 1 4.30x
East Woodhay 1 74.07x
Everton 1 1.03x
Feckenham 1 25.97x
Foots Cray 1 59.52x
Geldeston 1 384.62x
Middlesbrough W 1 769.23x
Normanton 1 13.04x
Pennard 1 416.67x
Plympton Maurice 1 99.01x
Portsmouth 1 8.23x
Shrawley 1 243.90x
Toxteth Park 1 0.97x
Whitehaven 1 8.46x
Woodchester 1 125.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 10
Ann 5
Catherine 4
Elizabeth 4
Fanny 4
Louisa 4
Agnes 3
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Jane 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Margaret 2
Nancy 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Agar 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Cathleen 1
Eda 1
Eliza 1
Elizebth 1
Emma 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Madeline 1
Margarite 1
Margret 1
Margrett 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Myra 1
Pheobie 1
Phillis 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Rodha 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 11
George 10
Joseph 10
Thomas 9
James 5
Charles 4
David 4
Alfred 3
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Foster 2
Francis 2
Jeremiah 2
Roger 2
Adam 1
Alexander 1
Anderson 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Cecil 1
Chandos 1
Cyrues 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Fisher 1
Forster 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jesson 1
Jim 1
Mark 1
Obadiah 1
Philip 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wallace 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Penrice surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penrice surname in 1881?

In 1881, 264 people were recorded with the Penrice surname. That placed it at #10,655 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penrice surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016. That gives Penrice a modern rank of #11,902.

What does the Penrice surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Welsh place name Pen-rhuddgoch, meaning "the red headland".

What does the Penrice map show?

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