Show ContentsHanney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hanney family

The surname Hanney 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 Hanney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hanney 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 Hanney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hanney Spelling Variations

Hanney has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Anne, Any, Ann, Anny, Annie, Hanne, Hanny, Hanney and others.

Early Notables of the Hanney family

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


United States Hanney migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hanneys to arrive on North American shores:

Hanney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Hanney, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1854 5
  • Mathew Hanney, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873 5

Australia Hanney migration to Australia +

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

Hanney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Hanney, Welsh convict who was convicted in Monmouthshire, Wales for 15 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Mr. Thomas Hanney, English convict who was convicted in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Mrs. Ann Hanney, (b. 1825), aged 22, English nursery maid who was convicted in Wells, Somerset, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 4th September 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), listed as travelling with her 7 month old child 8
  • Bridget Hanney, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"

Contemporary Notables of the name Hanney (post 1700) +

  • Terence Percival Hanney (1889-1964), English football player and manager who received a gold medal at the 1912 Stockholm Games
  • Brenda Hanney (b. 1987), Irish camogie player and member of the Galway senior panel that unsuccessfully contested the All Ireland finals of 2010 and 2011, captain of the 2011 All Ireland runners-up and scorer of the winning goal in the 2011 All Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Alfred Hanney, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 9


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. 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)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  9. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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