Show ContentsChanin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Chanin comes from when the family resided in Cann, a parish in the county of Dorset. The surname Chanin is a palatal form of the surname Canning, of toponymic origin, deriving from the place-name Cann mentioned above. The word palatal is a phonological term. Phonology is the study of sounds used in language. The sounds able to be produced by humans and used in speech are classified into several types: labial, for sounds produced by the lips; dental, for sounds produced by the tongue against the teeth; palatal, for sounds produced by the tongue against the hard palate (found at the roof of the mouth in the front); and uvular, for sounds made at the back of the throat. The translation from the s sound to the sh sound, or the one from c to ch, is known as the palatal translation, for it is accomplished by moving the tongue from the teeth to the hard palate while keeping the tongue in the same form.

Early Origins of the Chanin family

The surname Chanin was first found in Hertfordshire 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 Chanin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chanin research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1086 is included under the topic Early Chanin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chanin 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. Chanin has been recorded under many different variations, including Channing, Chaning, Chening, Channings and others.

Early Notables of the Chanin family

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

Migration of the Chanin family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Chanin or a variant listed above: John Channing who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1712; William Channing and Mrs. Channing settled in Nantucket Mass in 1823; Joseph Channings arrived in New Orleans in 1823..


Contemporary Notables of the name Chanin (post 1700) +

  • Herschell Chanin, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 13th District, 1966 1
  • Abraham M. Chanin, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 1st District, 1936 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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