Explore the Family Name Penwell
The meaning of Penwell
English (Devon): habitational name from Pingwell Haw in Wilmington (Sussex), or from a lost or as yet unidentified place of similar name in southwest England. The Sussex placename derives from the Old English personal name Pinna + Old English wella ‘spring, stream, well’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Penwell in the United States?
The surname Penwell has seen a rise in popularity over the last decade, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Penwell ranked at 16,761 in terms of popularity; however, this had slightly improved to 16,273 by 2010 - an increase of 2.91%. The count of people bearing the surname also increased from 1,569 in 2000 to 1,772 in 2010, marking a 12.94% growth. The proportion of individuals named Penwell per 100,000 people also showed a modest increase from 0.58 in 2000 to 0.6 in 2010, equating to a positive change of 3.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,761 | #16,273 | 2.91% |
| Count | 1,569 | 1,772 | 12.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.58 | 0.6 | 3.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Penwell
In terms of ethnic identity, the largest percentage of individuals with the surname Penwell identify as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. However, there was a slight decrease of 0.20% in this category from 96.18% in 2000 to 95.99% in 2010. There were also minor changes amongst other ethnic identities. For instance, those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase of 70%, moving from 0.7% in 2000 to 1.19% in 2010. The Black population also saw a small increase. On the other hand, individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those of two or more races decreased by 26.32% and 18.67% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group remained almost stable with a negligible decrease of 1.75%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.18% | 95.99% | -0.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1.66% | 1.35% | -18.67% |
| Hispanic | 0.7% | 1.19% | 70% |
| Black | 0.51% | 0.62% | 21.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0.56% | -1.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.28% | -26.32% |