Penna Family History

14-Day Free Trial

GET STARTED

Penna Name Meaning

Cornish: of uncertain origin; perhaps a habitational name from any of the places named Penare or Penarth, from Cornish pen-arth ‘promontory’, ‘headland’. Italian (mainly southern): probably a topographic name for someone who lived on a hill or peak, or generally in an elevated location, penna (from Latin pinnus ‘pointed’), a common element of place names. Greek: from the Greek vocabulary word penna ‘quill’, ‘pen’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a clerk or scribe (Greek Pennas, with the occupational suffix -as).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Senna, Penn, Penne, Perna, Pena, Menna, Piana, Perla, Pera, Penka

Ready to discover your family story?

Simply start with yourself and we'll do the searching for you.

NEW

Penna Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Penna name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Penna. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

Explore the full experience here

  • England & Wales

    26%

  • Italy

    24%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    12%

  • Germanic Europe

    8%

  • France

    6%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

Order a DNA Kit Today

Penna Family Origin

Where is the Penna family from?

Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map
1840
    1920
    You can see how Penna families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penna family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penna families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 2 Penna families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 67% of all the recorded Penna's in the USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Penna families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penna surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Penna

    Penna Family Occupations

    What did your Penna ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Penna family was Wks. In Coal Mines. Farmer, House Carpenter and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Penna. The most common Penna occupation in the USA was Farmer. 56% of Penna's were Farmers.

    View Census data for Penna | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      56%

    • House Carpenter

      11%

    • Laborer

      11%

    • Wks. In Coal Mines

      11%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Penna ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Penna Historical Records

    What Penna family records will you find?

    Census Record

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

    Search 1940's US census records for Penna

    Passenger List

    There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Penna. 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 Penna immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Penna. For the veterans among your Penna ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Penna military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Penna family history.

    Discover More

    Penna Life Expectancy

    What is the average Penna lifespan?

    Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Penna life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Penna in 1948 was 62, and 81 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penna

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penna ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Penna Family Ancestors

    Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in your family tree

    Famous ancestors img
    Look up another name