Explore the Family Name Penny
The meaning of Penny
English: 1. from Middle English peni, peny ‘penny’ (Old English pening, penig), applied as a nickname, possibly for a person of some substance or for a tenant who paid a rent of one penny. This was the common ancient Germanic unit of value when money was still an unusual phenomenon. It was the only unit of coinage in England until the early 14th century, when the groat and the gold noble were introduced, and was a silver coin of considerable value. There is some evidence that the word was used in Old English times as a byname. This surname is also found in Ireland. Compare Halfpenny, Farthing, Grote, and Shilling. 2. alternatively, a variant of Penning or Penn.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Penny in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Penny saw a slight shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Penny was the 3410th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 3485th spot, a decrease of 2.2%. However, despite this marginal drop in popularity, the actual number of people with the Penny surname grew from 9,615 in 2000 to 10,249 in 2010, indicating a 6.59% increase. The proportion of Pennys per 100,000 people also slightly decreased from 3.56 to 3.47, representing a 2.53% decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,410 | #3,485 | -2.2% |
| Count | 9,615 | 10,249 | 6.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.56 | 3.47 | -2.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Penny
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Penny also experienced some changes during the same period, as shown in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, although this group saw a small decrease from 73.67% in 2000 to 71.89% in 2010. On the other hand, those identifying as Hispanic saw the largest increase at 74.55%, rising from 1.65% in 2000 to 2.88% in 2010. The percentage of people identifying as two or more races also increased significantly, jumping from 1.86% to 2.41%, a change of 29.57%. There was little change within the Black community, going from 21.40% to 21.44%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw increases of 5.26% and decreases of 7.14% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.67% | 71.89% | -2.42% |
| Black | 21.4% | 21.44% | 0.19% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.88% | 74.55% |
| Two or More Races | 1.86% | 2.41% | 29.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.84% | 0.78% | -7.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.57% | 0.6% | 5.26% |
Penny ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Penny is British & Irish, which comprises 59.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.6%) and Eastern European (3.2%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.5% |
| French & German | 18.6% |
| Eastern European | 3.2% |
| Other | 18.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Penny
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Penny have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
What Penny haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Penny is I-Z58, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z58 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and E-P179, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schumacher, Baker, Harrison, Hunt, White, Long, Smith, Keller, Miller, Huber.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Penny surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Penny have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Penny" Surname 38.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Penny" Surname 26.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Penny" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Penny" Surname 12.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Penny?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Penny are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition