Show ContentsDinning History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Dinning family

The surname Dinning was first found in South Yorkshire at Dinnington, a town now part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham. The town dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Dunintone and literally meant "estate associated with a man called Dunn(a)" from the Old English personal name + ing + tun. 1 Dinnington is also a village and civil parish in Somerset and a village and civil parish in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear. So, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Dinnington, occupied by Roger le Bully, a Norman noble listed in the Domesday Book who was under-tenant to William of Warrene. 2

Early History of the Dinning family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinning research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1259, 1379 and 1857 are included under the topic Early Dinning History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinning Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dennington, Denington, Denninton, Deninton, Dinnington, Dinninton, Dininten, Dininten, Denyngton, Dinyington, Dynington and many more.

Early Notables of the Dinning family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Roger of Dinnington, a Norman noble


Dinning migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dinning Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Dinning, who settled in America in 1750
  • Johannes Dinning, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1778
Dinning Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Dinning, who arrived in Portland, ME in 1858
  • Stewart S Dinning, who arrived in Illinois in 1870 3
  • William Dinning, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
Dinning Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Christina Dinning, aged 34, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1903
  • William Dinning, aged 21, who immigrated to America from Kendal, in 1906
  • Mary Dinning, aged 23, who landed in America from Dublin, Ireland, in 1908
  • Alexander Dinning, aged 35, who immigrated to America from Stevenston, Scotland, in 1909
  • Hugh Dinning, aged 15, who immigrated to the United States from Kilmarnock, Scotland, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dinning migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dinning Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Eliza Dinning, who settled in Quebec in 1847
  • Mr. Daniel Dinning, aged 6 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Agnes" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 4
  • Ms. Eliza Dinning, aged 22 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Agnes" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 4
  • George Dinning, who settled in Ontario in 1871
Dinning Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • John Wm. Dinning, aged 24, who settled in Hamilton, Canada, in 1916
  • Neil Dinning, aged 67, who immigrated to Sherbrooke, Canada, in 1917
  • Elizabeth Dinning, aged 67, who settled in Sherbrooke, Canada, in 1917

Dinning migration to Australia +

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

Dinning Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Bryan Dinning, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
  • Mr. Joseph Dinning, English convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Thomas Dinning, aged 29, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Eliza" 7
  • Thomas Dinning, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eliza" in 1849 7

Dinning 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:

Dinning Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Dinning, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 8
  • Mary Dinning, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 8
  • Archibald Dinning, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 8
  • Martha Dinning, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 8
  • William Dinning, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Dinning (post 1700) +

  • Jean Dinning (1924-2011), American singer and songwriter
  • Max Edward Dinning (1933-1986), American pop music singer, best known for his song "Teen Angel" written by his sister which reached number one on the Billboard Charts
  • Marian Susan Dinning, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 72nd District, 1976 9
  • J. Donald Dinning, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1944 9
  • Anthony "Tony" Dinning (b. 1975), retired English football midfielder
  • Jim Dinning (b. 1952), Canadian Progressive Conservative politician and businessman


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. 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)
  4. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 24)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELIZA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Eliza.htm
  8. Archives New Zealand Micro 5019. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Alfred. Retrieved from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/Alfred1864.htm
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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