<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0203</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-01-07</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000700733</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>NATIONAL PENN BANCSHARES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NPBC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001414565</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Warburg Pincus Private Equity X, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O WARBURG PINCUS LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>466 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001451560</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WARBURG PINCUS X PARTNERS, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>466 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001414561</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Warburg Pincus X, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O WARBURG PINCUS LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>450 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001414564</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Warburg Pincus X LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O WARBURG PINCUS LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>450 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001322709</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Warburg Pincus Partners LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>450 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000929408</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WARBURG PINCUS &amp; CO</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>450 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017-3147</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001162870</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WARBURG PINCUS LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>450 LEXINGTON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001239318</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>KAYE CHARLES R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O WARBURG PINCUS LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>466 LEXINGTON AVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001220638</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LANDY JOSEPH</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O WARBURG PINCUS LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>466 LEXINGTON AVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>common stock, no par value (&quot;Common Stock&quot;)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>24793389</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Warburg Pincus Private Equity X, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, together with Warburg Pincus X Partners, L.P., an affiliated Delaware limited partnership (together, &quot;WP X&quot;) is the holder of 24,793,389 shares of Common Stock. By reason of the provisions of Rule 16a-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Exchange Act&quot;), Warburg Pincus X L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (&quot;WP X LP&quot;), and the general partner of WP X, Warburg Pincus X LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;WP X LLC&quot;) and the general partner of WP X LP; Warburg Pincus Partners, LLC, a New York limited liability company (&quot;WP Partners&quot;) and the sole member of WP X LLC; Warburg Pincus &amp; Co., a New York general partnership (&quot;WP&quot;) and the managing member of WP Partners; Warburg Pincus LLC, a New York limited liability company (&quot;WP LLC&quot;) that manages WP X; (Continued in Footnote 2)</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">and Messrs. Charles R. Kaye and Joseph P. Landy, each a Managing General Partner of WP and Managing Member and Co-President of WP LLC may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares of Common Stock held by WP X. Each of WP X LP, WP X LLC, WP Partners, WP, WP LLC, and Messrs. Charles R. Kaye and Joseph P. Landy are a &quot;Reporting Person,&quot; and collectively, the &quot;Warburg Pincus Reporting Persons.&quot;
Information with respect to each of the Warburg Pincus Reporting Persons is given solely by such Warburg Pincus Reporting Persons, and no Warburg Pincus Reporting Person has responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information supplied by another Warburg Pincus Re-porting Person. (Continued in Footnote 3)</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(4) of the Exchange Act, each of the Warburg Pincus Reporting Persons, other than WP X, herein states that this filing shall not be deemed an admission that he or it is the beneficial owner of any of the shares of Common Stock covered by this Statement. Each of WP X LP, WP X LLC, WP Partners, WP, WP LLC, and Messrs. Kaye and Landy disclaims beneficial ownership of the Common Stock, except to the extent of its or his pecuniary interest in such shares of Common Stock.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Solely for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, WP X may be deemed a director-by-deputization by virtue of its contractual right to designate a representative to serve on the board of directors of NPBC.

See Signatures of Warburg Pincus Reporting Persons attached as Exhibit 99.1</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Arenare</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-01-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
