The Penny surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,249 people carried this name — #3,485 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,800 people counted. That is up 7% from 9,615 in 2000.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 5 births for the Penny name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 62 people named Penny.
13 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 15 départements, most often Creuse.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 50 people named Penny live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in East Flanders.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Penny in American newspapers,
1912–1930.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 811,493 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Penny,
with a public archive behind them.
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Edward Penny 1714–1791 · painter -
Marie Penny d. 1970 · businessperson
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George Penny d. 1838 · botanist
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Sarah Bouillie d. 1814
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Constance Susan Penny d. 1916
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Peggy Stuart d. 1983
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Penny.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Penny is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.