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Penry Family History

Penry Name Meaning

Welsh (south Wales): Anglicized form of the Welsh ab ap ‘son’ + the personal name Henry hence ‘son of Henry’ (see Henry ). Some examples have an intrusive d (compare Hendry ). Cornish: variant of Pendray a habitational name from any of several places in Cornwall such as Pendrea in Saint Buryan and Pendrift in Blisland with names derived from Middle Cornish pen (an) dre ‘top of the village’ (pen ‘head top end’ + an ‘the’ + tre ‘village’).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Perry, Henry, Parry, Pendry, Ferry, Denny, Neary, Terry, Keary, Merry

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Penry family from?

You can see how Penry families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penry family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penry families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 6 Penry families living in North Carolina. This was about 86% of all the recorded Penry's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Penry families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penry surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Penry ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Penry. 26% of Penry men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Penry women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penry were Salesman and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Penry | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    26%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Machinist
    5%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    18%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Stenographer
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Penry family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Penry. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penry census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Penry

Passenger Lists

There are 817 immigration records available for the last name Penry. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Penry immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 929 military records available for the last name Penry. For the veterans among your Penry ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penry military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penry family history

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What is the average Penry lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Penry life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Penry in 1952 was 50, and 85 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penry

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Penry family tree

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