NameCensus.

UK surname

Penrose

From the Cornish words "pen" meaning "head" and "ros" meaning "heath" or "moor," referring to one who lived near these features.

In the 1881 census there were 1,151 people recorded with the Penrose surname, ranking it #3,478 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,618, ranked #3,849, down from #3,478 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Redruth, Hull Holy Trinity and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penrose is 1,670 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.6%.

1881 census count

1,151

Ranked #3,478

Modern count

1,618

2016, ranked #3,849

Peak year

2010

1,670 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penrose had 1,151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,478 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,618 in 2016, ranked #3,849.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,437 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Penrose surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penrose surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Penrose 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 952 #2,917
1861 historical 766 #3,586
1881 historical 1,151 #3,478
1891 historical 1,184 #3,620
1901 historical 1,366 #3,675
1911 historical 1,437 #3,364
1997 modern 1,572 #3,751
1998 modern 1,630 #3,771
1999 modern 1,632 #3,800
2000 modern 1,633 #3,777
2001 modern 1,596 #3,783
2002 modern 1,613 #3,822
2003 modern 1,606 #3,752
2004 modern 1,568 #3,850
2005 modern 1,559 #3,823
2006 modern 1,551 #3,831
2007 modern 1,586 #3,796
2008 modern 1,619 #3,752
2009 modern 1,657 #3,769
2010 modern 1,670 #3,818
2011 modern 1,623 #3,868
2012 modern 1,575 #3,906
2013 modern 1,614 #3,881
2014 modern 1,623 #3,889
2015 modern 1,629 #3,834
2016 modern 1,618 #3,849

Geography

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Where Penroses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Redruth, Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Gwennap and Kenwyn, Tregavethan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Redruth Cornwall
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gwennap Cornwall
5 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 043 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 044 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 059 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 072 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 057 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Penrose

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Penrose

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Penrose is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penrose is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Penrose falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Penrose

The surname Penrose is believed to have originated in Cornwall, England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Cornish words 'pen' meaning head or top, and 'ros' meaning a promontory or rocky hill, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent headland or cliff.

One of the earliest known references to the name Penrose can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from the year 1284, where a William de Penrose is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already become an established surname by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, records show a John de Penrose who held lands in the parish of St. Enoder, near the town of Newquay in Cornwall. This John de Penrose is believed to have been a descendant of the earlier William de Penrose mentioned in the Assize Rolls.

Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the Penrose family continued to hold land and influence in Cornwall, with various branches of the family scattered across the county. One notable figure from this time was Sir Ralph Penrose (c.1490-1552), who served as Sheriff of Cornwall and was involved in the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549.

In the 17th century, the Penrose family gained prominence in the nearby counties of Devon and Somerset. Thomas Penrose (1610-1681), a merchant and landowner from Tiverton, Devon, was a member of the famous Penrose family of Penrose Manor in the parish of Woolfardisworthy.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the Penrose name continued to be represented in various fields. John Penrose (1768-1859) was a British politician who served as MP for Helston, Cornwall, while Francis Penrose (1817-1908) was an eminent English artist and antiquarian known for his illustrations of medieval architecture.

Other notable individuals with the surname Penrose include the British physicist and mathematician Roger Penrose (born 1931), famous for his work in general relativity and cosmology, and the American businessman and billionaire J.W. Penrose (1860-1930), who co-founded the Penrose Companies and made his fortune in the mining industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Penrose families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penrose 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. Cornwall leads with 380 Penroses recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.92x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 380 29.92x
Yorkshire 279 2.51x
Devon 82 3.51x
Middlesex 79 0.70x
Lancashire 68 0.51x
Surrey 35 0.64x
Glamorgan 25 1.28x
Gloucestershire 24 1.09x
Durham 20 0.60x
Kent 19 0.50x
Cheshire 18 0.73x
Somerset 18 1.00x
Lincolnshire 14 0.78x
Essex 13 0.59x
Berkshire 11 1.31x
Norfolk 9 0.52x
Cumberland 7 0.72x
Worcestershire 7 0.48x
Northumberland 6 0.36x
Sussex 6 0.32x
Merionethshire 5 2.44x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.33x
Hampshire 4 0.17x
Lanarkshire 4 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.66x
Royal Navy 3 2.24x
Bedfordshire 1 0.17x
Flintshire 1 0.33x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Renfrewshire 1 0.12x
Wiltshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kenwyn in Cornwall leads with 51 Penroses recorded in 1881 and an index of 153.57x.

Place Total Index
Kenwyn 51 153.57x
St Just In Penwith 48 194.81x
Holy Trinity 33 12.34x
Redruth 32 89.06x
Truro St Mary 32 299.91x
Marytavy 22 639.53x
Stoke Damerel 20 12.24x
Sennen 17 604.98x
St Clement 16 120.66x
Hunslet 15 8.65x
Illogan 15 44.60x
St Buryan 15 285.71x
Madron Penzance 14 30.32x
Sculcoates 13 7.38x
Dukinfield 12 10.49x
Islington London 12 1.10x
Gwennap 11 45.91x
Ladock 11 305.56x
St Blazey 11 98.65x
St John Near Swansea 11 45.55x
Tavistock 11 41.35x
Welton Melton 11 338.46x
Cheltenham 10 5.89x
Phillack 10 61.01x
St Agnes 10 56.21x
Todmorden Walsden 10 28.04x
Alne 9 476.19x
Bromley London 9 3.65x
Downham Market 9 75.95x
Gillingham 9 11.41x
Leeds 9 1.43x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 5.00x
Shoreditch London 9 1.85x
Toxteth Park 9 2.00x
York St Lawrence 9 77.65x
Burn 8 610.69x
Camberwell 8 1.12x
Helston 8 60.61x
Liverpool 8 0.99x
Market Weighton Arras 8 110.80x
Paul 8 34.68x
Perranzabuloe 8 72.99x
Selby 8 34.44x
Birkdale 7 20.78x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 3.38x
Chelsea London 7 2.07x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.37x
Fowey 7 120.07x
Gateshead 7 2.80x
Great Grimsby 7 6.15x
Hackney London 7 1.11x
Holy Trinity St Mary 7 41.37x
Laxton 7 769.23x
Millom 7 23.65x
Reading St Mary 7 10.38x
St Columb Minor 7 65.67x
Stainforth In Thorne 7 247.35x
Swansea Town 7 4.37x
Tewkesbury 7 35.66x
Barnoldswick 6 38.66x
Bedminster 6 3.54x
Clerkenwell London 6 2.27x
Hunstonworth 6 310.88x
Iveston 6 39.01x
Lofthouse 6 36.14x
Maunby 6 759.49x
Plymouth Charles The 6 5.83x
Whitwood 6 38.00x
Wimbledon 6 9.78x
Alnwick 5 17.42x
Brightside Bierlow 5 2.29x
Dedham 5 74.40x
Healaugh 5 549.45x
Llanfihangel Y Traethau 5 42.84x
Probus 5 95.97x
Putney 5 9.78x
St Columb Major 5 47.44x
West Ayton 5 284.09x
West Ham 5 1.02x
Weston Super Mare 5 10.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 89
Elizabeth 52
Ann 36
Jane 31
Sarah 31
Annie 22
Eliza 18
Ellen 18
Emma 13
Hannah 13
Maria 12
Emily 11
Kate 10
Margaret 9
Amelia 8
Caroline 8
Catherine 8
Edith 8
Fanny 8
Grace 8
Alice 7
Anne 7
Florence 7
Louisa 7
Susan 6
Eva 5
Frances 5
Martha 5
Clara 4
Elizth. 4
Harriett 4
Ada 3
Charlotte 3
Eliz. 3
Helen 3
Mabel 3
Nanny 3
Beatrice 2
Bessie 2
E. 2
Ethel 2
H. 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Minnie 2
Naomi 2
Priscilla 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 85
John 84
Thomas 46
George 31
Richard 28
Charles 24
James 22
Henry 19
Joseph 14
Frederick 12
Robert 12
Arthur 11
Edward 11
Harry 10
Alfred 8
Samuel 8
Walter 8
Francis 6
Wm. 6
Edwin 5
Tom 5
Albert 3
David 3
Elisha 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Isaac 3
Mathew 3
Thos. 3
Benjamin 2
Edmund 2
Fred 2
Johnson 2
Jonathan 2
Saml. 2
W. 2
Aurthur 1
Cyrus 1
Daniel 1
Donald 1
Elijah 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

Penrose surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penrose surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,151 people were recorded with the Penrose surname. That placed it at #3,478 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penrose surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,618 in 2016. That gives Penrose a modern rank of #3,849.

What does the Penrose surname mean?

From the Cornish words "pen" meaning "head" and "ros" meaning "heath" or "moor," referring to one who lived near these features.

What does the Penrose map show?

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