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![Show Contents]() Penta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The proud Penta family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Penta family originally lived in Cornwall, in the ancient village of Pendarvey. Early Origins of the Penta familyThe surname Penta was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Camborne. Few early records of the family exist and it is not until about the year 1520 that we find Thomas Pendarves seated at Camborne. "Within [the Camborne Church] there are several memorials for the family of Pendarves. There is a bust of Sir William in armour, on the head of which is a flowing peruke." 1 "At Green Bank, or Dunstanville Terrace, the manor or reputed manor of Penwerris, in which it is situated, this being his lordship's property. This manor, with several other estates, he inherits from his grandmother, Mary Pendarves, by whose great uncle it had been purchased of the Killigrews, about the year 1660." 1 Early History of the Penta familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Penta research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1622, 1637, 1656 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Penta History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Penta Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Pendarves, Pendarvs, Pendarvus, Pentarves, Pentarvis and many more. Early Notables of the Penta familyAnother 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Penta Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Penta familyA look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Penta: Lawrence Pentarvis who landed in America in 1750.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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