Ann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Ann family

The surname Ann was first found in Yorkshire where "the pedigree begins with Sir William de Anne, Constable of the Castle of Tickhill in the time of Edward II." [1] Hunter states about this family: "it is a single instance of the male line being maintained in its ancient port and rank out of all gentry of the Deanery of Doncaster, summoned to appear before the Heralds in 1584."

The Hanney (Hanny) variant likely arose from East or West Hanney, the latter a parish in the union of Wantage, partly in the hundred of Ock, but chiefly in that of Wantage, Berkshire. Both are ancient Saxon villages dating back to 956 when they were collectively known as Hannige. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, they were known as Hannei, meaning "island, or land between streams, frequented by cocks (of wild birds)" from the Old English word "hana" + "eg." [2]

"The church [of West Hanney] is principally of Norman architecture, and contains a monument to Mrs. Elizabeth Bowles, who died at the advanced age of 124 years; likewise several memorials of Knights Templars." [3]

Thomas Hanney or De Hanneye (fl. 1313), is the author of a treatise, 'De quatuor partibus Grammaticæ,' known as the 'Memoriale Iuniorum,' which is extant in two manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. "There appears to be no evidence that the writer was an Englishman, but if he was he may be assumed to have taken his name from Hanney in Berkshire, not far from Wantage, which place is spelled Hanneye in a roll of 8 Edward II." [4]

Early History of the Ann family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ann research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1307, 1394, 1415, 1420, 1455, 1487, 1490, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Ann History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ann Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Ann family name include Anne, Any, Ann, Anny, Annie, Hanne, Hanny, Hanney and others.

Early Notables of the Ann family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Anne family of Yorkshire

Ann Ranking

In New Zealand, the name Ann is the 955^th most popular surname with an estimated 782 people with that name. [5]

Ann migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Ann surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Ann Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Ann, who arrived in New Hampshire in 1689 [6]

Ann Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

David Ann, who landed in New York in 1709 [6]

Ann migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ann Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Mary Ann, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Bellona" in July 1792, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]

Contemporary Notables of the name Ann (post 1700) +

Kathleen Ann, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for South Dakota State House of Representatives 30th District, 2010 [8]
Lee Ann Meriwether (b. 1935), American Emmy Award nominated actress and model, Miss America 1955
Stanley Ann Dunham (1942-1995), American anthropologist, mother of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States
Monica Ann Attard OAM (b. 1958), is an Australian journalist and academic
Mary Ann Handley (1936-2023), American politician, Member of the Connecticut State Senate from 1997 until her retirement in 2010, Chief Deputy Majority Leader
Patricia Ann Hodge OBE (b. 1946), is an English actress, known for her roles in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–1992), All Creatures Great and Small (2021–present)
Betty Ann Price (1931-2023), American music teacher, art director and ambassador
Edith Ann Wearne (1889-1956), English housewife of Thomas Clinton Pears (1882–1912), great great grandson of soap manufacturer Andrew Pear, both sailed aboard the RMS Titanic, Edith survived while Thomas was lost
Joan Ann Hackett (1934-1983), American Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated stage, film, and television actress
Prudence Ann McIntyre (1945-2023), American singer, known professionally as Patience and Prudence, she was active from 1956 to 1964

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bellona
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html