Penrord History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The origins of the Welsh name Penrord go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Penrord once lived in or near either the manor of Pen-rhys in the county of Glamorgan, or in one of the places called Penrose in Cornwall or Devon. 1 2 The surname Penrord belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Penrord family

The surname Penrord was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing. Penrice Castle is a castle near Penrice, Swansea on the Gower Peninsula, Wales.

Later, some of the family were found in Worcestershire: "The old Worcestershire family of Penrice resided in the parish of Crowle in the first half of the 17th century; the name was probably taken from Penrice, a manor and castle in Glamorganshire. " 3

The Cornish branch may be related to the surname Penrose as the name Penrice and Penrose were found there as early as the Pipe Rolls of 1195. 4

Early History of the Penrord family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Penrord research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1692, 1777 and 1904 are included under the topic Early Penrord History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Penrord Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Penrord have included Penrice, Penrise and others.

Early Notables of the Penrord family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Penrord Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Penrord family

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Penrord: John Penrice settled in Virginia in 1623; Robert Penrise settled in Virginia in 1630; Lawrence Penrice settled in Virginia in 1751.

The Penrord 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: Tuto et celeriter
Motto Translation: Safely and quickly.

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)