Tann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Tann

What does the name Tann mean?

The Tann surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Tann is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Tann was given to someone who lived in or near a forest. This name was originally derived from the German word tan, which means forest.

Early Origins of the Tann family

The surname Tann was first found in Franconia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Tann family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tann research. Another 245 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1176, 1572, 1632 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Tann History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tann Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Tann include Tann, Tan, Tanner, Taner, Tanns, Tans, Tanne and many more.

Early Notables of the Tann family

Prominent among members of the name Tann in this period include

Conrad von Tann, the son of the founding father Friedrich (1160), who became the bishop of Speier and Adam Tanner (in Latin, Tannerus) (1572 -1632), Austrian Jesuit professor of mathematics and philos...

Tann Ranking

In the United States, the name Tann is the 13,630^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Tann migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Tann Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Tann, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 2

Tann Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Tann, who landed in New York in 1822 2
Anton G Tann, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 2
Sylvester Tann, who settled in Philadelphia in 1856
Isaac Tann, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 2

Tann migration to Australia +

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

Tann Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Tann, English convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. William Tann, (b. 1823), aged 16, English boot maker who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the "Egyptian" on 5th April 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1891 4

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/egyptian