PENN
The surname Penn is of English origin and has been borne by individuals and families throughout the British Isles for many centuries.
Etymologically, the name derives from the Old English word pen, meaning hill or enclosure. It is therefore a topographic name given to those who lived near a hill or a slope, or a habitational name for people from any of the numerous English localities called Penn. In some instances the name has also been interpreted as a nickname for a person with a prominent or pointed head, taken from the Middle English word penne meaning head or top.
Evidence of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Penne in the entry for a village in Staffordshire. It also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1188 under the form Penna de Tapeslawa, and in the later Pipe Rolls of 1196 as Walter de la Penne. The earliest documented use of the family name is that of Warin de Penne, dated 1176 in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire during the reign of King Henry the Builder of Churches, 1154‑1189.
In addition to its toponymic use, Penn may also reflect a metonymic occupational role. The Old English term penn – a pre‑7th‑century word for a sheep or cattle enclosure, frequently built of stone – suggests that the surname could have originally described a shepherd or an impounder. A record of John de Penne appears in the Ministers Accounts of the Earldom of Cornwall in 1296, supporting this possibility.
The surname gained further prominence through notable bearers in both Britain and America. William Penn (1644‑1718), the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, was the son of Admiral Penn. In 1680 he obtained from King Charles the 11th of England a grant of lands in New England, where he established a colony largely for Quakers. William Penn was not the first individual named Penn to cross into America. Francis Penn, aged twenty‑two, departed London in 1632 aboard the ship Mathew bound for Virginia, though little is known of his subsequent life.
Through its varied origins, the surname Penn reflects both geographical features and occupational associations. It continues to be recognised as one of the most historically significant names in British and American contexts, noted for its early documentary attestations and its link to influential figures of the past.
Typical given names associated with the Penn surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Matthew
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Karen
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Pagne
- Pagni
- Paiano
- Pain
- Paine
- Paini
- Paino
- Pan
- Pana
- Pane
- Pani
- Pania
- Panie
- Pann
- Panna
- Panne
- Panni
- Panno
- Pannu
- Pano
- Panou
- Panu
- Paon
- Paone
- Paun
- Pauna
- Pawn
- Pawne
- Payn
- Payne
- Paynne
- Payno
- Peain
- Pean
- Peane
- Peano
- Peen
- Peene
- Pegna
- Peigne
- Pein
- Peine
- Pen
- Pena
- Pene
- Peneau
- Peni
- Penia
- Penna
- Penne
- Penni
- Pennie
- Penno
- Penny
- Peno
- Pens
- Penu
- Peon
- Peun
- Pewny
- Peyne
- Pian
- Piana
- Piani
- Piano
- Pien
- Pienne
- Pigne
- Pin
- Pina
- Pine
- Pineau
- Pineo
- Pini
- Pinie
- Pinn
- Pinna
- Pinne
- Pinnie
- Pinno
- Pino
- Pion
- Poen
- Poiana
- Pon
- Pona
- Pone
- Poni
- Ponn
- Ponne
- Pono
- Poon
- Poona
- Poone
- Pooni
- Poonia
- Poune
- Pown
- Powne
- Poyne
- Puan
- Pugno
- Pun
- Puna
- Pune
- Puni
- Punia
- Punn
- Punna
- Punny
- Puno
- Pyn
- Pyne
- Pynn
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Penn in...
Braille
⠏⠑⠝⠝
Morse
.--..-.-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,991 people named Penn in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,584th most common surname in Britain. Around 92 in a million people in Britain are named Penn.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Penn
- Sean Penn - American actor, screenwriter, and film director
- Chris Penn - American actor (1965 to 2006)
- Dylan Penn - American model and actress
- William Penn - Real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, early Quaker and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania (1644 to 1718)
- B.J. Penn - American mixed martial artist
- Jessie Penn-Lewis - Evangelist (1861 to 1927)
- William Penn - Admiral and politician (1621 to 1670)
- Thomas Penn - Son of William Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania (1702 to 1775)
- Hannah Callowhill Penn - Second wife of Pennsylvania founder William Penn (1671 to 1726)
- Russell Penn - Football player
- Chris Penn - Cricketer
- Andrew Penn - Race walker
- John Penn - Architect (1921 to 2007)
- Frank Penn - Cricket player of England. (1851 to 1916)
- Tom Penn - Football player (1901 to 1)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.