Find out how popular the last name Fanner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fanner.

Fanner, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fanner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fanner in America

Fanner is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fanner surname appeared 118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fanner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fanner to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Fanner

The surname Fanner has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "fann," meaning a winnowing fan used for separating grain from chaff. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in agricultural work, specifically in the processing of grains.

In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, an early census-like record from 1273, there is an entry for a person named William le Fannere, indicating the presence of the name in medieval England. The use of the prefix "le" before the occupational term was a common practice at the time, denoting that William was a winnower or one who operated a winnowing fan.

The Fanner surname also has variations in spelling, such as Faner and Fanor, which can be found in historical records from different regions of England. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fanner can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1327, where a John Fanner is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 14th century.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Fanner surname was Robert Fanner (c. 1560-1625), an English clergyman and author who served as a rector in various parishes in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Fanner (1651-1719), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Seaford in Sussex from 1695 to 1698.

In the 18th century, John Fanner (1720-1796) was a renowned English engraver and artist, known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects.

The Fanner surname also has connections to place names in England. For example, the village of Fanner in Northamptonshire is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fenn," meaning a fen or marsh, suggesting a possible link between the surname and geographical locations.

Another notable figure with the Fanner surname was William Fanner (1776-1855), an English author and poet who wrote extensively on topics related to agriculture and rural life, reflecting the agricultural roots of the surname's origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fanner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fanner.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fanner was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fanner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fanner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fanner, please contact us.

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