NameCensus.

UK surname

Penty

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Penty surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 178, ranked #21,160, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Silkstone and Wath-on-Dearn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penty is 228 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.5%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

178

2016, ranked #21,160

Peak year

1911

228 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penty had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016, ranked #21,160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 228 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Penty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Penty 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 206 #14,597
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 228 #13,759
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 166 #20,441
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 176 #20,632
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 184 #20,809
2015 modern 180 #20,997
2016 modern 178 #21,160

Geography

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Where Pentys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Silkstone, Wath-on-Dearn, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and St Lawrence, St Nicholas in the Suburbs. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Hambleton. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding
4 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
5 St Lawrence, St Nicholas in the Suburbs Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 013 Barnsley
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Barnsley 012 Barnsley
4 Hambleton 007 Hambleton
5 Barnsley 010 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Penty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Penty

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Penty is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penty is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Penty 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 Penty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Penty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penty 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 143 Pentys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.60x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 143 8.60x
Lancashire 13 0.65x
Gloucestershire 6 1.82x
Hampshire 4 1.16x
Durham 2 0.40x
Northumberland 2 0.80x
Cheshire 1 0.27x
Lincolnshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gate Fulford in Yorkshire leads with 17 Pentys recorded in 1881 and an index of 438.14x.

Place Total Index
Gate Fulford 17 438.14x
Barnsley 15 87.46x
York St Lawrence 11 635.84x
Wortley In Bramley 9 68.34x
Brampton Bierlow 8 375.59x
Brightside Bierlow 8 24.53x
Heslington St Paul 7 5384.62x
Manningham 7 34.18x
Norton In Doncaster 7 2058.82x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 54.69x
Hoyland Nether 6 147.06x
Knottingley 6 205.48x
Raskelf 6 2222.22x
Bolton Percy 5 3571.43x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 46.73x
Leeds 4 4.26x
Ryde 4 54.13x
Azerley 3 750.00x
North Meols 3 15.39x
Skelton In York 3 1666.67x
Tottington Lower End 3 31.71x
Ardwick 2 11.14x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 13.34x
Brierley 2 714.29x
Bury 2 8.80x
Darlington 2 10.38x
Dunnington In York 2 465.12x
Pocklington 2 127.39x
Prudhoe 2 114.94x
York St Mary 2 29.03x
Acomb 1 114.94x
Copmanthorpe 1 555.56x
Easingwold 1 85.47x
Hemsworth 1 104.17x
Scarborough 1 6.62x
St Botolph Lincoln 1 51.81x
Stockport 1 5.25x
Stretford 1 9.13x
Tanshelf 1 75.19x
Welburn In Malton 1 312.50x
York St Sampson 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 9
Robert 9
Charles 5
Francis 5
George 5
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
James 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Nathan 2
Richard 2
A.E. 1
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Freddie 1
Horace 1
Jno.F. 1
Joseph 1
Tom 1
W.H. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Penty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Penty surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016. That gives Penty a modern rank of #21,160.

What does the Penty map show?

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