History of your Surname
Get access to Penney family records.Start a free trial

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.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

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 1911 there were 103 Penney families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 58% of all the recorded Penney's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Penney families in 1911.
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 1921, Fisherman and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Penney. 26% of Penney men worked as a Fisherman and 28% of Penney women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penney were Carpenter and Farmer None. .

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 1921

  • Fisherman
    26%
  • Farmer
    25%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Carpenter
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    28%
  • Operator
    28%
  • Servant
    28%
  • Farmer None
    19%
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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

Discover More

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

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Penney last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial