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Penney Family History

Penney Name Meaning

English: variant of Penny .

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


Similar surnames: Denney, Lenney, Pennel, Pinney, Jenney, Fenney, Fenley, Penny, Penner

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 Penney family from?

You can see how Penney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penney families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 25 Penney families living in Maine. This was about 24% of all the recorded Penney's in USA. Maine had the highest population of Penney families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Penney ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Penney. 14% of Penney men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Penney women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penney were Carpenter and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Penney | 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
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Maid
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Penney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 81,000 census records available for the last name Penney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Penney

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Penney. 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 Penney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Penney. For the veterans among your Penney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penney family history

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What is the average Penney lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Penney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Penney in 1950 was 26, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penney

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Penney family tree

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