NameCensus.

UK surname

Fanner

A surname derived from Middle English referring to a winnower of grain.

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Fanner surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ringwood, London parishes and Shaftesbury Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Dorset, North Dorset and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fanner is 649 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.0%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

1891

649 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fanner had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 649 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fanner surname distribution map

The map shows where the Fanner surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Fanner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fanner over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 258 #8,568
1861 historical 544 #4,830
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 649 #5,976
1901 historical 393 #9,606
1911 historical 387 #9,511
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 141 #22,549
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 144 #22,367
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 147 #23,248
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Fanners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ringwood, London parishes, Shaftesbury Holy Trinity and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Dorset, North Dorset and Wiltshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ringwood Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Shaftesbury Holy Trinity Dorset
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Dorset 005 East Dorset
2 East Dorset 008 East Dorset
3 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
4 East Dorset 003 East Dorset
5 Wiltshire 060 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fanner

These lists show first names that appear often with the Fanner surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fanner

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fanner, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Fanner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fanner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Fanner is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fanner is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fanner falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fanner is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fanner, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fanner

The surname Fanner has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "fann," meaning a winnowing fan used for separating grain from chaff. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in agricultural work, specifically in the processing of grains.

In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, an early census-like record from 1273, there is an entry for a person named William le Fannere, indicating the presence of the name in medieval England. The use of the prefix "le" before the occupational term was a common practice at the time, denoting that William was a winnower or one who operated a winnowing fan.

The Fanner surname also has variations in spelling, such as Faner and Fanor, which can be found in historical records from different regions of England. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fanner can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1327, where a John Fanner is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the early 14th century.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Fanner surname was Robert Fanner (c. 1560-1625), an English clergyman and author who served as a rector in various parishes in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Fanner (1651-1719), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Seaford in Sussex from 1695 to 1698.

In the 18th century, John Fanner (1720-1796) was a renowned English engraver and artist, known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects.

The Fanner surname also has connections to place names in England. For example, the village of Fanner in Northamptonshire is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fenn," meaning a fen or marsh, suggesting a possible link between the surname and geographical locations.

Another notable figure with the Fanner surname was William Fanner (1776-1855), an English author and poet who wrote extensively on topics related to agriculture and rural life, reflecting the agricultural roots of the surname's origin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fanner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fanner surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Dorset leads with 37 Fanners recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.57x.

County Total Index
Dorset 37 48.57x
Wiltshire 17 16.56x
Hampshire 16 6.73x
Middlesex 15 1.29x
Warwickshire 9 3.07x
Kent 7 1.77x
Lanarkshire 5 1.33x
Lancashire 4 0.29x
Monmouthshire 3 3.58x
Ayrshire 2 2.30x
Somerset 2 1.07x
Gloucestershire 1 0.44x
Perthshire 1 1.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ringwood in Hampshire leads with 15 Fanners recorded in 1881 and an index of 986.84x.

Place Total Index
Ringwood 15 986.84x
Donhead St Mary 13 2500.00x
Cann 9 4090.91x
Birmingham 8 8.20x
Tarrant Gunville 8 5714.29x
Weymouth 8 555.56x
Shadwell London 6 184.62x
Iwerne Courtnay 5 980.39x
Cambusnethan 4 47.96x
Donhead St Andrew 4 1250.00x
Ealing 3 28.93x
Everton 3 6.83x
Upper Machen 3 517.24x
Chatham 2 18.37x
Child Okeford 2 588.24x
Hornsey 2 13.62x
Kilmarnock 2 19.34x
Lewisham 2 9.47x
St Giles In Fields London 2 35.15x
Wimborne Minster 2 162.60x
Aston 1 1.24x
Banwell 1 147.06x
Blandford Forum 1 66.67x
Boddington 1 625.00x
Bromley 1 16.56x
Cargill 1 185.19x
Greenwich 1 5.41x
Hamilton 1 9.55x
Hampstead London 1 5.53x
Hougham 1 42.55x
Ilminster 1 76.34x
Langton Long Blandford 1 909.09x
Lymington 1 57.14x
Manchester 1 1.61x
St Pancras London 1 1.07x
Stourpaine 1 454.55x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Fanner surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 6
Ellen 5
Mary 5
Annie 4
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Elisth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Flora 1
Gertrude 1
Julie 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Nellie 1
Polly 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Sophie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Fanner surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 8
William 6
Henry 5
George 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
John 3
Charles 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Benjamin 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred.Geo. 1
Frederic 1
Hensleigh 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Fanner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fanner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Fanner surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fanner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Fanner a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Fanner surname mean?

A surname derived from Middle English referring to a winnower of grain.

What does the Fanner map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fanner bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.