Explore the Family Name Fenner
The meaning of Fenner
1. English: from Middle English fen(ne) ‘fen, marsh’ (Old English fenn) + -er, a topographic name for someone who lived in or by a marsh or fen. Fenn Place in Worth in Sussex had owners called atte Fenne, who in the time of King Henry VI (1421–71) apparently changed their name to Fenner. See Fenn. 2. English: variant of Fainer, from Middle English feiner, fener ‘haymonger, one who sells hay’ (Old French fenier), or perhaps a nickname from Middle English feiner ‘inventor; hypocrite’. 3. South German and Swiss German: occupational name for an ensign or standard bearer, from Middle High German vener, an agent derivative of Middle High German vane ‘flag’. See also Fenrich.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fenner in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Fenner has slightly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the Fenner surname ranked 4636 in terms of popularity with a count of 6992, which represented a proportion of 2.59 per 100k. By 2010, its rank had improved to 4619, with a total count of 7678, thus showing a growth of 9.81% and increasing the proportion to 2.6 per 100k.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,636 | #4,619 | 0.37% |
| Count | 6,992 | 7,678 | 9.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.59 | 2.6 | 0.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fenner
As for the ethnic identity associated with the Fenner surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that there have been some minor shifts over the decade. Predominantly associated with White ethnicity at 78.39% in 2000, this percentage decreased slightly to 76.80% by 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Fenners identifying as Black remained relatively stable at around 17.57%. The data also shows a significant increase in the number of Fenners who identify with two or more races, growing from 1.23% to 1.85%, as well as those identifying as Hispanic, which went from 1.54% to 2.79%. Conversely, there was a decrease in the percentage of Fenners identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.39% | 76.8% | -2.03% |
| Black | 17.69% | 17.57% | -0.68% |
| Hispanic | 1.54% | 2.79% | 81.17% |
| Two or More Races | 1.23% | 1.85% | 50.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.82% | 0.72% | -12.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.27% | -18.18% |
Fenner ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Fenner is British & Irish, which comprises 45.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.1%) and Eastern European (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.3% |
| French & German | 28.1% |
| Eastern European | 5.5% |
| Other | 21.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Fenner
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Fenner have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.00% |
What Fenner haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Fenner is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L20 and R-M167, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Phoenix, Milner, Keene, Criss, Hopkins, Cox, Kent, Waldron, Starr, Morris.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fenner surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Fenner have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Fenner" Surname 34.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Fenner" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Fenner" Surname 18.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Fenner" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Fenner?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Fenner are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition