Surname Penney - Meaning and Origin
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Penney: What does the surname Penney mean?
The last name Penney is of English origin, derived from the personal name "Penny," which was a common medieval given name. This name was often given as a nickname to someone considered to be precious or valuable, just like a penny (from an old word) was a unit of currency and seen as valuable. Some suggest it might also refer to someone who once held the job of minting coins or it could possibly be locational, from living by a noteworthy penn (which meant a hill). Name variations include Penney, Pennie, Pennay, Pennye, Penne, and Penn. So, it carries connotations of value, worth, and location. The name has been prevalent in England, particularly in the west country, since the Middle Ages. Famous bearers of this surname include the founder of the retail giant J.C. Penney, James Cash Penney.
Order DNA origin analysisPenney: Where does the name Penney come from?
The last name Penney is most common in the United Kingdom and Ireland. According to a surname study from Ancestry.com in 2017, surnames ending in -ney were highly concentrated in the northwest of England, around the Lake District and Cumbria.
It has also been noted to have strong ties in Scotland, originating from the Northern Isles and Highlands. It is also popular in Nova Scotia, Canada, where in 1851 the first Penney immigrants arrived from Northern Ireland in 1851.
In England today, the Penney family is estimated to have over 30,000 people living in a wide area of England that includes North, East and South East England, as well as London. In Ireland, there is a concentration around the city of Dublin.
In the United States, there is a concentration of Penney family in Pennsylvania, especially in the southeastern part of the state. In the 2000 census, 1,371 people in the state of Pennsylvania had the surname.
Overall, this surname is well distributed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America, Canada, and other parts of the world. Although the frequency of this surname has decreased over the years, it has remained a popular surname throughout the West.
Variations of the surname Penney
The surname Penney is an English variant of the French surname "de Penne" which means "from the peak". The original spelling of the surname is "Penne, de Penne, de Penney and Peney.
The surnames Penney and Penny are variants of the same origin, with "Penney" historically more common in Great Britain, and "Penny" used more frequently throughout the United States and other areas throughout the world.
Other variants of the surname Penney include Pennay, Peny, Peney, Pennie, Pennye, Pennye, Pennee, Penni, Penne, de Penne, de Penney, Pinny, Penna and Pana. Penelly, Penely and Penniwell are French and Cornish variants of the surname.
There is also a Scottish Clan, the Clan Peney, descended from Robert Peny of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Regardless of the variant used, Penney is an Anglo-Norman surname of Huguenot origin, often found in France, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the United States.
Famous people with the name Penney
- Joe Penney: Canadian film director
- Don Penney: former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher
- Ruth Penney Adams: American aviator, author, and lecturer
- Vito R. Penney: American politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1982 to 2003
- David Penney: British sound engineer
- Saul Penney: American avant-garde composer
- Pete Penney: former Major League Baseball shortstop
- Russell Penney: Canadian businessman and philanthropist
- Amanda Penney: American figure skater
- Roscoe Penney: American professional wrestler