Fenn as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Fenn

What is the meaning of the name Fenn ?

The baby name Fenn is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /fɛn/ (rhymes with "hen").

Fenn is English in Origin.

Fenn is an English surname-turned-given name derived from Old English fenn, “marsh” or “bog.” It began as a topographic label for someone who lived by a wetland or hailed from the Fenlands of eastern England. Medieval records show forms such as atte Fenne and de la Fenne before the spelling settled as Fenn, especially in East Anglia and Lincolnshire. The core meaning is “dweller by the fen” or simply “from the marsh.”

As a first name, Fenn has seen rising use since the late twentieth century, aligning with the modern taste for crisp, nature-tinged surnames. Surname bearers like the antiquary Sir John Fenn and actress Sherilyn Fenn have kept it visible. Variants and related forms include Fen, Fenne, and the regional Venn; Fenton is a longer, place-derived cousin. Despite sounding like Finn, it has a distinct origin and meaning.