Pennington Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Pennington last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Pennington last name
Meaning of the Pennington last name: penny farmstead. Pennington is an English surname from places in Cumbria and Lancashire whose name means "penny farmstead", perhaps land once rented for a penny. The last name spread from the north-west to Liverpool, Manchester and the American colonies. A curious detail of this surname origin: the Penningtons have been linked with Muncaster Castle in Cumbria for around eight centuries.
Arms associated with the Pennington name
In heraldry the full achievement adds a helmet, mantling and other parts around the shield, and coats of arms associated with the Pennington name are usually shown in that fuller form.
Get your full Pennington family history
This is only a glimpse of the Pennington story. The full Pennington 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 Pennington coat of arms. Get the full Pennington report.
Pennington name FAQ
What does the Pennington name mean?
Penny farmstead. Common variants include Penington, Penninton, Penniton.
Where does the Pennington surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Pennington coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Pennington coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); Muncaster Castle, history of the Pennington family (muncaster.co.uk).