Penningt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestry of the name Penningt dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Lancashire at Pennington. Interestingly, two sources claim the name literally means "farmstead paying a penny rent." 1 2

Early Origins of the Penningt family

The surname Penningt was first found in Lancashire at Pennington, a parish, in the union of Ulverston, hundred of Lonsdale north of the Sands. "This place, which in Domesday Book is styled 'Pennigetun,' belonged to a local family, one of whom, Gamel de Pennington, was a very considerable person at the time of the Conquest. 3 From him descended Sir John Pennington, who commanded the left wing of the army in an expedition into Scotland under the Earl of Northumberland," 4

By the time of Henry II, some of the family had branched to Muncaster in Cumberland (now part of Cumbria) and it was here that King Henry VI was concealed by Sir John Pennington in his flight from his enemies. 5

"The ancient and influential knightly family of the Penningtons were lords of Pennington from the 11th century to the reign of Henry VI., a monarch who numbered Sir John de Pennington amongst his most trusted adherents. In the first quarter of the 17th century there was a gentle family of the name at Mitton Magna. The name is also established in Cheshire." 6

Early History of the Penningt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Penningt research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1552, 1558, 1565, 1584, 1599, 1616, 1623, 1640, 1642, 1646, 1653, 1655, 1661, 1676, 1679, 1682, 1730 and 1783 are included under the topic Early Penningt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Penningt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Penningt have been found, including Pennington, Penington and others.

Early Notables of the Penningt family

Notables of the family at this time include

William Penington, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1552, 1558 and 1565; Joseph Pennington of Muncaster Castle, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1599; and Sir William Pennington (1655-1730), 1st Baronet

Migration of the Penningt family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Penningt, or a variant listed above: John Penington, who settled at St. Christopher in 1633; Charles Penington, who arrived in Virginia in 1695; William Penington, who arrived in Virginia in 1652.

The Penningt 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: Vincit amore patria
Motto Translation: My beloved country will conquer.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.