Tann Family History

African American: at least in part probably from a shortened and altered form of the surname Kecatan derived from the name of the Kikotan Native American tribe of Algonquian stock that once lived in the vicinity of present-day Hampton VA. The surname Kecatan was recorded in 1665 in VA. African American surname Tann is however (in part) probably also of English origin (in any of the two possible senses; see 2 and 3 below).

English (mainly Norfolk): metonymic occupational name from Middle English tan(ne) ‘oak bark’ (Old French tan) i.e. crushed oak bark used in tanning. See also Tanner. English (mainly Norfolk): from the Middle English personal name Tan a pet form of Andrew. Compare Tandy.

German: topographic name for someone who lived in a forest Middle High German tan. This was originally a distinct word from tanne ‘pine tree’ and denoted a forest of any kind. Inevitably however the two became confused with the result that Tann now denotes only coniferous forests; in this form it is a rather rare and literary word.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 譚 see Tan.