After two years of researching my Fanning family history in Ireland I have only just realised how many variations on the name Fanning have been used in records.
There are two main ones: Fanning and Fannin. I came across a brother and sister on the same ship and one was listed as Fanning, the other Fannin. My emigrant ancestor Wiliam Patrick Fanning was listed as William Fannin on the “Enmore” passenger list and in a 1856 Census in Victoria he is also William Fannin.
But there are lots more variations. Some are misspellings and the rest I think the result of being written as they sound, with an Irish accent.
Others I have encountered are Fanin, Fannen, Fanen, Fanon, Fanan, Fannon, Faning, one Fannning, and even Farnon and Farnen.
