Show ContentsHenning History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Henning

What does the name Henning mean?

The ancient and distinguished German surname Henning is derived from "Henneke," a diminutive of the enormously popular given name Johannes. The Low German suffix -ing indicates "son of"; thus, the progenitor of the name was likely the son of someone who was known as Henneke.

Early Origins of the Henning family

The surname Henning was first found in East Prussia, where the family came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status. The name was first found in Courland were they were raised to be cavaliers in 1566.

Early History of the Henning family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henning research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1814 and 1862 are included under the topic Early Henning History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henning Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Hennin, Henning, Hennig (Silesia), Henegar, Henninger, Henniger, Hienegar, Henigger, Henningsen and many more.

Early Notables of the Henning family

Notables bearing the name Henning of this period include

  • Aloys Henninger (1814-1862), a well-known German theologian and scholar known as Aloys der Taunide, and the Henninger family of Austria

Henning Ranking

In the United States, the name Henning is the 2,770th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in South Africa, the name Henning is ranked the 772nd most popular surname with an estimated 8,987 people with that name. 2


Henning migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Henning Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Henning who settled in Virginia in 1654
  • Richard Henning, who landed in Maryland in 1673 3
Henning Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Henning, who settled in Maryland in 1731
  • Hans Michel Henning, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
  • Thomas Henning, who arrived in Maryland in 1740 3
  • Hieronimus Henning, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 3
  • Paul Henning, who arrived in New York city in 1750
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Henning Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Henning, who landed in New York in 1801 3
  • Hugh Henning, who arrived in New York city in 1801
  • Fredk Henning, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1805 3
  • Matthew Henning, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
  • Michael Henning, aged 26, who arrived in America in 1821 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henning migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Henning Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Barbara Henning, who arrived in Prince Edward Island in 1774
Henning Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Christian Henning, a Hessian mercenary who settled in Newfoundland after fighting in the American Revolution
  • William Henning, who landed in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862

Henning migration to Australia +

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

Henning Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Barbara Henning, English Convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • Miss Rebecca Henning, English convict who was convicted in Birmingham, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 22nd January 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Henning (post 1700) +

  • Brigadier-General Frank Andrew Jr. Henning (1896-1983), American Deputy Commanding General XVIII Airborne Corps (1954) 6
  • Paul Henning (1911-2005), American Academy Award and three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominated television producer and writer best known for The Beverly Hillbillies
  • Megan Henning (b. 1978), American actress
  • Anne Henning (b. 1955), American Olympic speed skater
  • Edward Julius Henning (b. 1868), American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1910-11 7
  • David A. Henning, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Macomb County 2nd District, 1961 7
  • D. W. Henning, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1884 7
  • Clarence A. Henning, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from California 5th District, 1923 7
  • Carol L. Henning, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1972 7
  • Arthur L. Henning, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin Democratic State Central Committee, 1944-54; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1948, 1952 7
  • ... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Werner Henning (1918-1941), German Maschinenmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 8
  • Hans Henning (1913-1941), German Feldwebel who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 8


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  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. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  6. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Frank Henning. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Henning/Frank_Andrew_Jr./USA.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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