Show ContentsPennihan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Pennihan is an old Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a person who worked as the servant for Penn. The name may also be derived from their work as local treasurers or pennymasters who were in charge of the Mint.

Early Origins of the Pennihan family

The surname Pennihan was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the name was Simon Penyman in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268. Others include: William Peniman in the Hundredorum Rolls of Cambridge in 1279; and Ralph Paniman or Panyman was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

Early History of the Pennihan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pennihan research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1569, 1607, 1608, 1628, 1635, 1636, 1642, 1643, 1661, 1664, 1679, 1695, 1702, 1708, 1745, 1750, 1778 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pennihan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pennihan Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Pennihan has been recorded under many different variations, including Pennyman, Penniman, Penyman and others.

Early Notables of the Pennihan family

Notables of the family at this time include William Pennyman (died 1628), a Clerk in Chancery, he held a third of the Manor of Marske, Yorkshire; and his illegitimate son, Sir William Pennyman (1607-1643), an English landowner, soldier and politician, High Sheriff of Yorkshire (1635-1636), he died of...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pennihan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pennihan family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Pennihan or a variant listed above: James Penniman, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630, with his wife Lydia; as well as Jane Penniman and her husband, who settled in Boston in 1679..



The Pennihan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortiter et fideliter
Motto Translation: Boldly and faithfully.


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