This interesting surname of English origin is a patron ymic from the Middle English given name Janyn or Jenyn, a diminutive of the personal name John, itself coming from the Hebrew given name Yochanan meaning "Jehoval has favoured (me with a son)" or "may Jehovah favour (this child)". The surname dates back to the late 13th Century, (see below). Further recordings include one Richard Janyns (1327) "The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire". Variations in the idiom of the spelling include Jennings, Jinings, Jennyns, Jennens, etc.. One Edward Jenyns was christened on May 29th 1548, at St. Pancras, Soper Lane, London. Davy Jenyns married Alys Elyott on September 9th 1548, at St. Margaret, Westminster, and Elizabeth Jennyns married Robert Southwick at St. Leonard Eastcheap, London, on May 9th 1552. One Sir Stephen Jenyns (died 1524) was a lord mayor of London. He was master of the Merchant Taylors'Company (1489), sheriff of London (1498), lord mayor (1508), knighted (1509), and he founded Wolverhampton grammer school. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Jonying, which was dated 1296, The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, during the reign of King Edward 1, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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