Fanning
An Irish surname that likely began as a local or patronymic name and later became established especially in County Limerick.
The #3,284 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,050 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The older authorities are not fully consistent. One line of explanation treats Fanning as a local name, possibly connected with an English form such as Penning, while another calls it the son of Fann, with Fann itself probably a shortened personal name. In general, the name may have developed either from a personal name or from a place-based surname that was later naturalized in Ireland.
History
Lower says the family was located in County Limerick and that the name is recorded in Ireland as early as the reign of Edward II. Later surname writers continued to list Fanning among Irish names, though they did not always agree on the exact root. The name remains most strongly associated with Ireland, especially Munster, and later spread through emigration to Britain, North America, and beyond.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
An early authority specifically notes Fanning as a recorded Irish surname by the time of Edward II.
From the historical record
“ment. FANNING. The family were located in CO. Limerick, and the name is of record in Ireland temp. Edward II. (D'Altou.) The latter is probably local, and identical with the English Penning. FEAVERYEAR. This singular sur- name, which is of very unusual occurrence, and apparently almost limited to the eastern…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom