NameCensus.

UK surname

Penzer

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Penzer surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 176, ranked #21,298, up from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Yardley and Wolverley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penzer is 195 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 120.0%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

176

2016, ranked #21,298

Peak year

2000

195 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penzer had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016, ranked #21,298.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Penzer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Penzer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Penzer 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 195 #18,494
2001 modern 188 #18,652
2002 modern 186 #19,150
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 183 #19,251
2005 modern 192 #18,640
2006 modern 180 #19,526
2007 modern 172 #20,321
2008 modern 169 #20,745
2009 modern 183 #20,135
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 178 #21,108
2014 modern 174 #21,561
2015 modern 173 #21,542
2016 modern 176 #21,298

Geography

Back to top

Where Penzers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Yardley, Wolverley, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and South Somerset. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Yardley Warwickshire
3 Wolverley Worcestershire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 007 East Devon
2 Birmingham 128 Birmingham
3 Wolverhampton 007 Wolverhampton
4 Birmingham 007 Birmingham
5 South Somerset 022 South Somerset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Penzer

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Penzer

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Penzer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Penzer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Penzer 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

Penzer 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

Penzer 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 Penzer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Penzer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penzer 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. Staffordshire leads with 27 Penzers recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.13x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 27 10.13x
Warwickshire 22 11.04x
Worcestershire 19 18.42x
Leicestershire 4 4.57x
Fife 3 6.42x
Hampshire 2 1.24x
Shropshire 2 2.93x
Devon 1 0.61x
Royal Navy 1 10.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 19 Penzers recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.63x.

Place Total Index
Aston 19 34.63x
Kingswinford 11 113.64x
Willenhall 11 220.44x
Wolverley 8 879.12x
Kings Norton 7 75.68x
Nosely 4 20000.00x
Birmingham 3 4.52x
Largo 3 491.80x
Wolverhampton 3 14.63x
Alvechurch 2 454.55x
Holybourne 2 1250.00x
Kidderminster Borough 1 16.56x
Kinver 1 129.87x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 1 294.12x
Royal Navy 1 12.42x
Stourbridge 1 37.74x
Upper Penn 1 149.25x
Wellington 1 26.04x
Worfield 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 5
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Lucy 2
Caroline 1
Elizth 1
Elsie 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Laura 1
Lizzis 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Edward 5
Job 4
William 3
Alfred 2
Esau 2
Henry 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Chas.Ja.? 1
Eagar 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ezer 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Paul 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Penzer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penzer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Penzer surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penzer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016. That gives Penzer a modern rank of #21,298.

What does the Penzer map show?

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