Pence Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Pence last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Pence last name
Meaning of the Pence last name: a descendant of Benzo. Pence began as a German family name for a descendant of Benzo, a pet form of names beginning with Bar (bear) and Band (banner, or someone who came from Pentz, in Germany, in Elsdon Smith's reading. Around 16,995 people carry the Pence name today, with many in the United States, Canada and Brazil.
Arms associated with the Pence name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full Pence family history
This is only a glimpse of the Pence story. The full Pence history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Pence coat of arms. Get the full Pence report.
Pence name FAQ
What does the Pence name mean?
A descendant of Benzo.
Where does the Pence surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States and Canada.
Is there a Pence coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Pence coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.