Penn

Penn became a given name through surnames and place names. English surname histories include a word for an enclosure or animal fold, while places called Penn can trace to a Brittonic word for a head or hill. These different routes mean enclosure is one explanation, not a complete account of every family bearing the surname.

William Penn gives the name a recognizable connection with Pennsylvania, and performers Penn Jillette and Penn Badgley have used it as a first name. Its resemblance to the word pen may appeal to a writer, but that is a modern association rather than its established surname meaning.