| ![Show Contents]() Nanney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Wales The Welsh name Nanney can be traced back to when the Nanney family lived in the settlement of Nannau, which is in the county of Merioneth. The root of this place-name is probably the Celtic word "nant," which means "brook." The surname belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Nanney familyThe surname Nanney was first found in Merionethshire (Welsh: Sir Feirionnydd), made a county in Northwest Wales in 1284, and anciently part of the kingdom of Gwynedd, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Nanney familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nanney research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1691, 1718, 1725 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Nanney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Nanney Spelling VariationsCompared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. As a result, people could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Nanney name over the years has been spelled Nanney, Nanny, Nannau, Nanphan and others. Early Notables of the Nanney familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Nanney RankingIn the United States, the name Nanney is the 16,805th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
 Nanney migration to the United States | + |
Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Nanney:
Nanney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Robert Nanney who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635
| Contemporary Notables of the name Nanney (post 1700) | + |
- Wendy Nanney (b. 1965), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 2008
- Charles Nanney, Miami Dade Police Department Chief of the Special Investigations Division;American Professor for Criminal Justice, Florida International University 2
- Herbert Boswell Nanney (1918-1996), American Professor Emeritus of Music and University Organist at Stanford University for 38 years
- Lillian B. Nanney Ph.D., American Professor of Plastic Surgery, Medical Education and Administration and Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University
- Adrian Nanney, American actor, known for his work on Lincoln (2012), Deadlands 2: Trapped (2008) and Border Town (2009)
- Claude Y. Nanney Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1944; Candidate for U.S. Representative from North Carolina 11th District, 1946
- Sir Hugh John Ellis- Nanney JP, DL, (1845-1920), 1st Baronet, Welsh landowner, magistrate and Conservative politician, High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire in 1870 and High Sheriff of Merionethshire in 1877
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Nanney migration to the United States 
