UK surname
A toponymic surname derived from a place name in Germany.
In the 1881 census there were 2 people recorded with the Janning surname, ranking it #33,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11, ranked #37,501, down from #33,721 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Odcombe, Brimpton, Chertsey and Thorrington, Frating. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Janning is 127 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 450.0%.
1881 census count
2
Ranked #33,721
Modern count
11
2016, ranked #37,501
Peak year
1861
127 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Janning surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Janning surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 4 | #32,658 |
| 1861 | historical | 127 | #17,469 |
| 1881 | historical | 2 | #33,721 |
| 1891 | historical | 31 | #31,820 |
| 1901 | historical | 2 | #34,263 |
| 1911 | historical | 5 | #33,427 |
| 1997 | modern | 7 | #37,533 |
| 1998 | modern | 9 | #37,189 |
| 1999 | modern | 8 | #37,367 |
| 2000 | modern | 10 | #37,001 |
| 2001 | modern | 9 | #36,980 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 9 | #37,101 |
| 2004 | modern | 10 | #37,096 |
| 2005 | modern | 10 | #37,180 |
| 2006 | modern | 10 | #37,224 |
| 2007 | modern | 13 | #36,990 |
| 2008 | modern | 13 | #37,056 |
| 2009 | modern | 11 | #37,336 |
| 2010 | modern | 12 | #37,307 |
| 2011 | modern | 13 | #37,191 |
| 2012 | modern | 11 | #37,394 |
| 2013 | modern | 11 | #37,435 |
| 2014 | modern | 11 | #37,462 |
| 2015 | modern | 11 | #37,467 |
| 2016 | modern | 11 | #37,501 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Odcombe, Brimpton, Chertsey, Thorrington, Frating, St Dunstan Stepney and Flitton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odcombe, Brimpton | Somerset |
| 2 | Chertsey | Surrey |
| 3 | Thorrington, Frating | Essex |
| 4 | St Dunstan Stepney | London (East Districts) |
| 5 | Flitton | Bedfordshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Janning surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Janning, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Janning surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Janning household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Janning is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Janning is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Janning, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname JANNING originated in the German states in the 12th century. It is a variant of the German word "Janne" which is a diminutive form of the personal name Johann or John. The name likely referred to someone as "little John" or "son of John".
Some of the earliest records of the JANNING surname can be found in medieval documents from the Rhineland region of Germany. The name appeared in various spellings such as Jenning, Jenninge, and Jenninghe in these old manuscripts and records.
One of the earliest known bearers of the JANNING name was Heinrich Janning, a merchant from the city of Cologne who lived in the late 14th century. There are also records of a family with the name Janning residing in the town of Essen in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the JANNING surname began to spread beyond the German states. A notable figure was Dirk Janning, a Dutch explorer and cartographer who mapped parts of the West Indies and South America in the 1580s.
The name JANNING also made its way to England by the 17th century. One of the earliest recorded English bearers was Thomas Janning, a merchant from London who was born in 1632. His descendants can be traced through parish records in various parts of England.
Another significant individual with the JANNING surname was Johann Janning, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1701. He wrote several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy during the Age of Enlightenment.
As the JANNING name spread across Europe, it also took on variations in spelling such as Jenning, Jennings, and Jennyns. Some of these variants were influenced by local dialects and languages in different regions.
Throughout its long history, the JANNING surname has been borne by numerous other notable individuals, including artists, scholars, and military figures. However, the origins of this name can be traced back to the humble roots of a diminutive form of Johann or John in medieval Germany.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Janning surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 1 Jannings recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.20x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 1 | 15.20x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 4.37x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lewisham in Kent leads with 1 Jannings recorded in 1881 and an index of 285.71x.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Janning surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Janning households.
FAQ
In 1881, 2 people were recorded with the Janning surname. That placed it at #33,721 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 11 in 2016. That gives Janning a modern rank of #37,501.
A toponymic surname derived from a place name in Germany.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Janning bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.