Frequency: (387)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. Possibly an altered spelling of English Fanner:
2. occupational name for a winnower, from a derivative of Old English fannian ‘to winnow’, or alternatively for a maker of winnowing baskets, from Old English fann ‘fan’, ‘winnowing basket’.
3. topographic name for a fen or marsh dweller, from a derivative of Middle English fann ‘fen’.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
