Pennypacker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England produced the name of Pennypacker. It was given to a someone as a personal name or literally derived from the coin. It was derived from the Old English "Penig," denoting a coin. The penny was the only unit of coinage in England until the early 14th century, and as such was a coin of considerable value.

While the Saxon heritage is the generally accepted origin of this family, another source points to a possible Norman origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Serlo Penné in Normandy in 1180-1195. 1

Early Origins of the Pennypacker family

The surname Pennypacker was first found in Northampton where they held a family seat from very early times, and before the 12th century had become associated with London and had moved north into Scotland.

Some of the first records of the family in Scotland include: Johannes Peny, a witness in Elgin in 1343; Mr. John Peny, a Scottish clerk, having a safe conduct in England in 1362; and a later John Peny who had a grant of the fulling mill of Ballernache in Perthshire in 1375. 2

Down in Lancashire, an ancient branch of the family was found. "The neat village of Penny-Bridge, so called perhaps from the British word Pen, 'the head,' was the seat of the family of Penny. The chapel, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built and endowed by William Penny, Esq., was consecrated in 1791." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included various early spellings in many counties: Hurtin Peni in Kent; Alexander Penny in Cambridgeshire; Agatha Peni in Oxfordshire; and Robert Peni in Kent. 4

Kirby's Quest listed Johanne Peny in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) 5

"In the reign of Anne, John Penny, Esq., lived at Charlton Musgrove, and at the same time a burgess of Glastonbury bore this name." 6

Early History of the Pennypacker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pennypacker research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1379, 1433, 1477, 1486, 1487, 1496, 1500, 1520, 1529, 1574, 1589, 1683 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pennypacker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pennypacker Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Pennypacker has appeared include Penny, Penney, Pennie, Penne and others.

Early Notables of the Pennypacker family

Distinguished members of the family include John Penny (d. 1520), English Bishop of Carlisle. He was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford, and at some unknown time became LL.D. of Cambridge. In 1477 he was a canon at the abbey...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pennypacker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pennypacker Ranking

In the United States, the name Pennypacker is the 17,617^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Pennypacker family to Ireland

Some of the Pennypacker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pennypacker family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Pennypacker arrived in North America very early: George Penny who settled in Barbados in 1635; Charles Penny settled in Maryland in 1775; P. Penny settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1769; the family also settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. In Newfoundland, Benedict Penny inherited property in Carbonear which dated back to 1699.

Contemporary Notables of the name Pennypacker (post 1700) +

Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker (1843-1916), American Republican politician, Governor of Pennsylvania, 1903-07; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1904 8
Paula A. Pennypacker, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, 1991, 1993 8
Charles H. Pennypacker, American politician, Burgess of West Chester, Pennsylvania, 1903-05 8

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html