Penrorthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The origins of the Welsh name Penrorthy go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Penrorthy 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 Penrorthy belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Penrorthy family

The surname Penrorthy 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 Penrorthy family

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

Penrorthy Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Therefore, scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Penrorthy has occasionally been spelled Penrice, Penrise and others.

Early Notables of the Penrorthy family

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

Migration of the Penrorthy family

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Penrorthy John Penrice settled in Virginia in 1623; Robert Penrise settled in Virginia in 1630; Lawrence Penrice settled in Virginia in 1751.

The Penrorthy 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)