Tanya History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Tanya family name to the British Isles. They lived in Normandy where this "baronial name derived from the Castle of Tani. Auvrai de Tanie is on the Dives Roll : and Robert de Tany witnesses William the Conqueror's charter to Selby Abbey, Yorkshire.He held a barony in Essex, when the name was given to Stapleford-Tany, Chignall-Tany, and Latton-Tany." 1

Early Origins of the Tanya family

The surname Tanya was first found in Essex where Hasculf, son or Robert de Tany, who in 1140 had a great suit with Rualo de Abrincis, also contested some property with William de Boville, who was the father of Rainald and Gruel. Rainald, a benefactor of Bermondsey Abbey in Surrey, left no heirs, and Gruel, or Grailand, succeeded, and certified in 1165 that he held three knight's fees de veteri feoffamento.1

His son also named Hasculf had a son named Gilbert, whose next heirs were William de Fauburgh, Maud the wife of Adam de Legh, and Nicolas de Beauchamp. He died in 1220, seized of seven knight's fees in the counties of Essex, Cambridge, and Suffolk, the Lordships of Aungre (Ongar) and Auvilers forming part of his barony. 1

Later,Peter de Tani was Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire. Of his son John we are only told that he bestowed some land on Waltham Abbey, but his grandson. Sir Richard, was Sheriff of the two counties in 1260 and 1261, Conservator of the Peace in 1263. 1

Hasculfus de Tania was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Essex in 1195. 2

Early History of the Tanya family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tanya research. Another 190 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1195, 1608, 1651, 1654, 1655, 1659, 1674, 1721, 1748, 1786 and 1791 are included under the topic Early Tanya History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tanya Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Taney, Tanney, Tauny, Tauney, Tawney, Tawny, Tannie, Tani and many more.

Early Notables of the Tanya family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Theaurau John Tany (bap. Thomas Totney 1608-1659), an English preacher and religious visionary. The morning of 30 December 1654, Tany made a large fire at Lambeth into which he cast his great saddle, sword, musket, pistols, books and bible and was committed to the Gatehouse prison where he was later bailed (1655) upon habeas corpus."His surname is spelled in nine different ways, and seems to have been pronounced 'tawny.' A...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tanya Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tanya family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Tanya or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Contemporary Notables of the name Tanya (post 1700) +

Ilka Tanya Payan (1943-1996), Dominican actress and attorney
Tanya Atwater, Professor of Tectonics at the University of California, Santa Barbara (1980-)
Tanya Buchanan Chadderton, British actress, known for Fight for Redemption (2015) and United World (2015)
Tanya Brideau, Canadian actress, known for Les Newbies (2019), Tap Out (2013) and Comme dans l'espace (2021)
Tanya Roberts (1955-2021), stage name of Victoria Leigh Blum, and American actress best known for her role in Charlie's Angels, Stacey Sutton in the James Bond film A View to a Kill
Ms. Tanya Natasha Robinson O.B.E., British Head of Equalities and Lammy Delivery, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to HM Prison and Probation Service and to charity 3
Tanya Lundstrom, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Dakota, 1996
Tanya Louise Bardsley (b. 1981), English model, born in Wigan, Greater Manchester, star in the reality television series The Real Housewives of Cheshire
Tanya Thornton Shewell (b. 1944), American politician, member of the Maryland House of Delegates (2004-2011)
Tanya Ballinger (b. 1973), American model and actress, known for her series of Miller Lite Catfight commercials

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists