Jenning Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the name Jenning began when it was derived from The name Jenning is derived from the personal name John, or perhaps more accurately from several diminutions of the name John, such as Jan, Jon, or Jen. 1

Patronymic surnames belong to the larger category of surnames, known as hereditary surnames, and they arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. In the religious naming tradition, which was developed later than the vernacular tradition, surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. John, of course, is derived from John the Baptist, who was born in order to announce Christ's coming.

Early Origins of the Jenning family

The surname Jenning was first found in Sussex where Roger Jonyng was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. A few years later in 1327, the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire listed Walter Jannen and Richard Janyns in 1327. In the same year, John Janyng was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex. From these early entries, we must look over 100 years later to find Thomas Jenyn in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1428. 2

Two other sources had interesting entries with spellings that have fallen out of favour. The Register of the University of Oxford includes John Genens, or Jenens, citizen of Oxford in 1573 and Francis Jenance, or Jennens, or Jenens in the same year. In Norfolk, Thomas Jennyns was registered these 13 Elizabeth (during the 13th year of Elizabeth I's reign) 3

Early History of the Jenning family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jenning research. Another 275 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1332, 1450, 1489, 1499, 1508, 1509, 1523, 1524, 1567, 1570, 1571, 1591, 1610, 1619, 1634, 1636, 1642, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1668, 1687, 1688, 1690, 1691, 1693, 1700, 1701, 1710, 1717, 1731, 1740, 1743, 1745, 1747, 1762, 1773, 1819 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jenning History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenning Spelling Variations

The Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, and therefore, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Jennings, Jenings, Jennins, Jennyns, Jennens, Jennynge, Jennynges, Jenyns and many more.

Early Notables of the Jenning family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was

Richard Jennings or Jenyns (c. 1619-1668), was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1642 and 1668, father of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who was confidant of Quee...
In the infamous side, Henry Jennings (died 1745), was a British privateer who served primarily during the War of Spanish Succession and later served as leader of the pirate haven of New Providence

Jenning Ranking

In the United States, the name Jenning is the 16,486^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Jenning family to Ireland

Some of the Jenning family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenning migration to the United States +

Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Jenning were among those contributors:

Jenning Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederick Jenning, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1859 5

Jenning migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jenning Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Hannah M. Jenning, (b. 1841), aged 21, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 6
William Jenning, aged 29, a shoemaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
Mary Jenning, aged 29, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
John Jenning, aged 8, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
William Jenning, aged 1 week, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html