Show ContentsAnning History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Anning

What does the name Anning mean?

The history of the name Anning begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from Hana, an Old English personal name. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. This name is from the vernacular tradition. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin and often have cognates in other European countries.

Early Origins of the Anning family

The surname Anning was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Anning family

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

Anning Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Anning has been recorded under many different variations, including Hanning, Haning and others.

Early Notables of the Anning family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Hanning of Somerset


Anning 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:

Anning Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John J. Anning, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Kenilworth" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 2nd May 1857 1
  • T. Anning, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gloucester" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 28th December 1858 1
  • Mr. George Anning, (b. 1853), aged 25, English farm labourer from Dorset departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Anning (post 1700) +

  • Mary Anning (1799-1847), English paleontologist, fossil collector and dealer, known for the discoveries of Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset
  • Trevor Sean Anning (b. 1982), English cricketer who plays for Devon County Cricket Club
  • Amber Anning (b. 2000), British sprinter, who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics
  • Raymon Harry Anning CBE QPM (1930-2020), British Commissioner of Police of Hong Kong (1985-1989)
  • Norman Herbert Anning (1883-1963), Canadian mathematician, assistant professor, professor emeritus, and instructor in mathematics, co-developer of the Erdos–Anning theorem
  • Les "Rimouski Rocket" Anning (1927-2008), Canadian ice hockey player from Quebec who played mainly in Great Britain during the 1940s and 1950s
  • Sam Anning, Australian jazz bassist who was nominated for ARIA Awards for Best Jazz Album in 2011
  • William Fraser Anning (b. 1949), Australian politician, Leader of the Conservative National Party (2019-2020), Senator for Queensland (2017-2019)
  • Vice Admiral Sir David Anning Loram KCB, CVO (1924-2011), British Royal Navy officer, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (1977-1980)
  • Robert Anning Bell (1863-1933), English painter


  1. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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