| ![Show Contents]() Penns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of PennsWhat does the name Penns mean? The ancestry of the name Penns dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived near an area that was referred to as the Penn. The surname Penns is a toponymic surname which described where the original bearer held land. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English words penn, meaning an area that housed stray animals and penn which referred to a hill. 1 "Pen is a Celtic topographical word, signifying 'a conical top, generally in a range of hills, as Penchrise-pen, Skelfhill-pen, &c.'. But there are several parishes, &c., to which this signification does not apply, in the counties of Buckingham and Stafford." 2 Early Origins of the Penns familyThe surname Penns was first found in Buckingham at Penn, a parish, in the union of Amersham, hundred of Burnham. 3 Penn is also a parish, in the union, and N. division of the hundred, of Seisdon in Staffordshire and while this parish dates back to the Domesday Book when it was known as Penne, 4 it is the former that traditionally most of the family hails. Indeed, the family of William Penn (1644-1718), founder of the Province of Pennsylvania (today, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) traces their origin to Penn, Buckinghamshire. 2 5 Early rolls provide a glimpse of various spellings and areas of ancient Britain that at one time were the family's ancient homesteads. Warin de Penne was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Staffordshire in 1176 and a few years later, Walter de la Penne was found in the Pipe Rolls for Berkshire in 1196. John ate Penne was listed in Cornwall in 1297; Adam son of Penne was listed at Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1277; and John Penn(e) was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and the Subsidy Rolls for Essex. 6 Early History of the Penns familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Penns research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1621, 1644, 1670, 1674, 1681, 1696, 1718, 1720, 1741 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Penns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Penns Spelling VariationsSpelling 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 Penns have been found, including Penn, Pen, Penner and others. Early Notables of the Penns familyMore information is included under the topic Early Penns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Penns family to IrelandSome of the Penns family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Penns migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Penns Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Thomas Penns, (b. 1837), aged 20, Cornish farm labourer travelling aboard the ship "Herefordshire" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 27th May 1857 7
- Mr. John Penns, (b. 1838), aged 20, Cornish labourer departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Ascendant" arriving in Moreton Bay, New South Wales, Australia on 19th June 1858 7
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: Dum clarum rectum teneam
Motto Translation: May I keep the line of right as well as of glory.
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. 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.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
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