The name Lanny is a diminutive form of the masculine given name Landon, which has English origins. The name Landon is derived from the Old English words "lan" meaning "long" and "dun" meaning "hill." It is believed to have originated as a surname referring to someone who lived near a long hill or ridge.

Lanny first appeared as a shortened version of Landon in the late 19th century, becoming more popular as a given name in its own right in the early 20th century. The earliest recorded use of the name Lanny is found in United States census records from the late 1800s.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Lanny was Lanny Ross, an American singer and actor born in 1892. Ross was a popular radio crooner during the 1930s and 1940s and appeared in several films during this time period.

Another notable Lanny from the early 20th century was Lanny Budd, the protagonist of a series of historical novels by American author Upton Sinclair. The first book in the series, "World's End," was published in 1940 and followed the life of Lanny Budd, a fictional character born in 1900 who witnessed many major events of the 20th century.

In the world of sports, Lanny McDonald was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1973 to 1989. He was born in 1953 and is best known for his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames, where he won the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Lanny Poffo, born in 1954, is an American professional wrestler and writer, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name "The Genius." He is the younger brother of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, another famous wrestler.

More recently, Lanny Jared Cordola, born in 1990, is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Girlpool, which formed in Los Angeles in 2013.