A German surname, Pentzer comes from a Middle German term ‘benz’ which means supreme. Variations in spelling the surname Pentzer include Pentz, Pentzen and Pentzlien. In England the major locations for those with the Pentzer surname is the county of Warwickshire in the center of England and the city of London. Within the United States the Pentzer families primarily live in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, Kansas and Iowa. Famous: Patrick H. Pentzer (awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War).