New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesReplies
1. German: variant of Danner, or a habitational name for someone from a place called Denn in the Rhineland.
> Danner
German: topographic name for someone who lived in or by a forest, from Middle Low German dan, Middle High German tan ‘pine’, ‘forest’ + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant, or a habitational name from any of various places called Thann, named with this word, notably in Bavaria, and also in Mecklenburg and Switzerland.
2. English: from an agent derivative of Middle English denn ‘woodland pasture for swine’, hence an occupational or topographic name.
(Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press)
My German book of surnames (Duden, Familiennamen) adds a few more places like Danna, Danne, Tanna, and Tannen.
> Danner
German: topographic name for someone who lived in or by a forest, from Middle Low German dan, Middle High German tan ‘pine’, ‘forest’ + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant, or a habitational name from any of various places called Thann, named with this word, notably in Bavaria, and also in Mecklenburg and Switzerland.
2. English: from an agent derivative of Middle English denn ‘woodland pasture for swine’, hence an occupational or topographic name.
(Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press)
My German book of surnames (Duden, Familiennamen) adds a few more places like Danna, Danne, Tanna, and Tannen.
1