Show ContentsHannis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Strathclyde Briton clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name Hannis. It is derived from the personal names Hannah and Anna. Another possibility is that it is a religious name, taken from that of Hannah, mother of Samuel. Most likely, however, given the family's Gaelic origins is that it was an anglicized version of the Gaelic "O hAnnaigh", meaning "descendant of Annach", a byname meaning "iniquity". 1

Early Origins of the Hannis family

The surname Hannis was first found in Wigtownshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, where in 1296, Gilbert de Hannethe residing in the county of Wiggetone at the time, rendered homage to King Edward I of England during his brief conquest of Scotland.

During the same year, a Gilbert Hahanith, who may or may not be the same man, was juror on an inquest concerning the succession to Elena la Zuche. The next appearance of the name is in 1424 when John of Hanna (a name that suggests that the name may have been taken from a place, rather than of Gaelic origin) was master of a ship belonging to James, King of Scotland. 1

Further to the south in England, Hannay or Hannah is a small parish, in the union of Louth, Wold division of the hundred of Calceworth, parts of Lindsey in Lincolnshire. 2

And East and West Hanney are in the union of Wantage, partly in the hundred of Ock, but chiefly in that of Wantage, in Berkshire. Both were traditionally in Oxfordshire. These parishes collectively date back to Saxon times when they were known as Hannige c. 956. There were listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, as Hannei and literally meant "island or land between streams, frequented by wild birds." 3

Early History of the Hannis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hannis research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1629, 1630, 1658, 1673, 1689 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hannis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hannis Spelling Variations

The variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. Hannis has appeared as Hannah, Hanna, Hannay, Hanney and others.

Early Notables of the Hannis family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Gilbert Hannah of Wigtown; Sir Robert Hannay, 1st Baronet (d. 1658) of Mochrum in the Stewardry of Kirkcudbright; Sir Robert Hannay, 2nd Baronet (d. 1689); and Patrick Hannay (died 1630?) was a Scottish poet and courtier from the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. He "was probably the third son of Alexander Hannay of Kirkdale in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. His grandfather...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hannis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hannis family to Ireland

Some of the Hannis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hannis migration to the United States +

As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Hannis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Walter Hannis, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 4

New Zealand Hannis 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:

Hannis Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Carolyn Hannis, (b. 1836), aged 28, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th March 1864 5
  • Mr. Hezekiah Hannis, (b. 1839), aged 25, British carpenter travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th March 1864 5

West Indies Hannis migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Hannis Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Rich Hannis, aged 21, who landed in Barbados in 1635 4
  • Mr. Richard Hannis, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 7

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Raymond William Charles Hannis, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 8


The Hannis Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per ardua ad alta
Motto Translation: Through straits to heights.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. 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)
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  8. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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