The
Welsh name Nany can be traced back to when the Nany 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 Nany family
The surname Nany 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 Nany family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nany research.
Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1691, 1767, 1718 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Nany History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Nany Spelling Variations
Although there are comparatively few
Welsh surnames, they have a great many
spelling variations. Variations of
Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within
Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The
Brythonic Celtic language of
Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language.
Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The
spelling variations of the name Nany have included Nanney, Nanny, Nannau, Nanphan and others.
Early Notables of the Nany family (pre 1700)
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nany Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Nany family to the New World and Oceana
Many people from
Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The
Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Nany: Robert Nanney who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635; Martin Nanny arrived in Virginia in 1731.