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Irish surname

Fanning: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Fainín (a variant of Painín) · 'son of Panin' (diminutive of Pagan), as Woulfe gives Painín

Woulfe (1923) treats Fanning as an Anglo-Norman name: Fainín, a variant of Painín, 'son of Panin', borne by an old Anglo-Norman family who settled at an early period in many parts of the south of Ireland, with influential families in Limerick, Tipperary and Kilkenny. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 45 entries including spelling varieties (22 spelled Fanning, 13 Fannin), principally in Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fanning surname
Irish formFainín (a variant of Painín)
Meaning'son of Panin' (diminutive of Pagan), as Woulfe gives Painín
CountiesLimerick, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Wexford
Other spellings4

Origin of the Fanning name

Anglo-Norman, per Woulfe: Fainín, 'a variant of Painín… by the not uncommon change of P to F; the name of an old Anglo-Norman family who settled at an early period in many parts of the south of Ireland. There were influential families of the name in Limerick, Tipperary and Kilkenny.'[1][2]

  1. 1651Surrender of Limerick: Alderman Dominic Fanning among those exempted from quarter.[8]
  2. 189045 birth entries incl. varieties (22 Fanning, 13 Fannin); principally Wexford, Tipperary, Waterford.[5][7]

Where in Ireland

Co. LimerickWoulfe: influential families of the name there; Panneen 'still a Co. Limerick surname'.[1][2]
Co. TipperaryWoulfe names influential families of the name here; a principal county for Fanning births in 1890.[1][5]
Co. KilkennyWoulfe names Kilkenny among the counties with influential families of the name.[1]
Co. WexfordFirst county named for Fanning births in 1890.[5]
Co. WaterfordOne of three counties where Fanning births were principally found in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Fanning

Dominic Fanningfl. 1651Alderman of Limerick; exempted from quarter at the 1651 surrender and reported put to death (Layles).[8]

Other spellings

Fannin · Fanyne · Phanyn · Panneen[1][5][6]

The Fanning coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Fanning surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Fanning crest gifts

Clan Fanning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap UO43 Fanning Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Fanning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Fanning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapPW12 Classic Cap - Fanning Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Fanning Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Fanning surname: questions

Is Fanning an Irish name?

Woulfe describes Fanning as the name of an old Anglo-Norman family who settled early in many parts of the south of Ireland. He also prints (Fannin, Fanning) in brackets under two Gaelic names, Ó Finghin and Ó Fionnáin.[1][3][4]

What does the surname Fanning mean?

Woulfe gives Fainín as a variant of Painín, 'son of Panin', Panin being a diminutive of Pagan.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Fanning name from?

Woulfe says there were influential families of the name in Limerick, Tipperary and Kilkenny. In 1890 Fanning births were found principally in Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford.[1][5]

What happened to Dominic Fanning of Limerick?

Dr William Layles's account of the surrender of Limerick in 1651 lists 'Dominic Fanning, Alderman' among those exempted from quarter, and reports what he 'hard for certaine' from others: that Fanning, both his sons and his brother were put to death.[8]

Sources

  1. Fainín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/f/fainin.php
  2. Painín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/p/painin.php
  3. Ó Finghin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-finghin.php
  4. Ó Fionnáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-fionnain.php
  5. Fanning — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fanning.php
  6. Fanning — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/578.php
  7. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  8. Account of Surrender of Limerick, 1651 (Dr William Layles; Clarendon Papers) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/E650001-023/text001.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).