Fannon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

The roots of the Fannon surname in Ireland are somewhat unclear; it seems that the name was both native Irish Gaelic, and Norman. The Gaelic name ó Fionnáin seems to be derived from Gaelic word "fionn," which means "fair," and has been Anglicized as "Finan" and "Fanning," both of which are Norman names that came to Ireland in the 12th century. As a Norman name, Fannon is generally thought to be derived from the Norman personal name Panin.

Early Origins of the Fannon family

The surname Fannon was first found in Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where Fanningstoown, previously known as Ballyfanning can be found, as well as in neighboring Tipperary where this Norman family settled at Ballingarry. 1

One line of thinking is that they were originally from Fainent in Normandy, and arrived in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066, and came to Ireland in the 12th century. 2

Saint Finan (d. 661), was ordained in Scotland according to the rites of the Columban church. His diocese at Lindisfarne embraced nearly all Northumbria. He rose to become Bishop of Lindisfarne and and succeeded in the see of Lindisfarne in 652. 3

In England, Thomas Fannyng was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1405 where it is possibly a variant of Fenning. 4 David Fenning was listed in Norfolk c. 1248 and John ffening was recorded there in 1290. 4

Early History of the Fannon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fannon research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1636, 1651 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Fannon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fannon Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Fannon include: Feenan, Fanning, Fannin, Fanningley, Fannon, Finan, Finnan, O'Finan and many more.

Early Notables of the Fannon family

More information is included under the topic Early Fannon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fannon migration to the United States +

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Fannon:

Fannon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Fannon, aged 23, who landed in Missouri in 1846 5
Bridget and Honoria Fannon, who arrived in Boston in 1850
John Fannon, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 5

Fannon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fannon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary Fannon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1826

Contemporary Notables of the name Fannon (post 1700) +

John Fannon, American musician, vocalist, guitarist and leader of the band New England (1978)
Sean Patrick Fannon (b. 1966), American role-playing game designer and writer from Tennessee
Francis R. "Frank" Fannon, American politician, 1st United States Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources (2018-)
Jim Fannon (b. 1968), Canadian politician, radio talk show host, entrepreneur, and real estate agent

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)