Wenning History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Wenning family

The surname Wenning was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Wannock, held by William, a Norman noble, from the Count of Mortain, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Wenning family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wenning research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1296 and 1332 are included under the topic Early Wenning History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wenning Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Wenning family name include Wannock, Wannick, Wanwick, Wanwock, Wonnick, Wonnock, Onewick, Onewock, Wammock, Wammick, Wennock, Wennick, Wenwick, Winnock, Winnwick and many more.

Early Notables of the Wenning family

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

Wenning migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Wenning family to immigrate North America:

Wenning Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bardol Wenning, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1753 2

Wenning Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinr Jos Wenning, who landed in America in 1836 2
M Wenning, who landed in America in 1845 2
Herm Heinr Wenning, who arrived in America in 1846 2
Joh Gerh Wenning, who landed in America in 1847-1849 2
Joh Herm Wenning, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1847 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)