Explore the Family Name Penley
The meaning of Penley
English (Gloucestershire and Worcestershire): habitational name from Penleigh in Dilton, Wiltshire. The placename probably derives from Old English penn ‘fold, enclosure’, or perhaps Celtic penn ‘head’, + Old English lēah ‘wood, woodland clearing’. It is perhaps also a variant of Pendley. This surname is rare in Britain and Ireland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Penley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Penley slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 11,088 in popularity and slipped to 11,928 in 2010, marking a decrease of 7.58%. The count of individuals with the Penley surname also experienced a minor dip from 2,629 in 2000 to 2,624 in 2010, down by 0.19%. Consequently, the proportion of the Penley surname per 100k people also decreased from 0.97 to 0.89 during this period, marking an 8.25% decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,088 | #11,928 | -7.58% |
| Count | 2,629 | 2,624 | -0.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.97 | 0.89 | -8.25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Penley
Discussing ethnicity based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, we see some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Penley between 2000 and 2010. Those identifying as White remained the majority, slightly increasing from 96.35% in 2000 to 96.53% in 2010. There was also a growth in the Hispanic and Black identities, increasing by 27.27% and 16.67% respectively. However, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and those of two or more races saw declines. The Asian/Pacific Islander group decreased by 22.45%, the multi-race group by 8.05%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a notable drop of 66.67%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.35% | 96.53% | 0.19% |
| Hispanic | 0.99% | 1.26% | 27.27% |
| Black | 0.72% | 0.84% | 16.67% |
| Two or More Races | 0.87% | 0.8% | -8.05% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.38% | -22.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0.19% | -66.67% |