Hello reddit, So I have always been curious about my surname Tannous. I know my Father and Grandfather is from Amman Jordan and heard my great grandparents are from Lebanon. My grandmother was born in Bethlehem and is Catholic. My father was raised Greek Orthodox. I am desperately searching for the meaning of my family name. Any bit of info helps
As far as I know, Tannous (طنوس) is an Arabic rendition of name Thomas. I know of one Tanyus, Shahin Tanyus (1815-1895). He was a Maronite. He was a blacksmith and a mule driver. In 1858 he was chosen as a leader of sever rebellious villages and after exiling most of shaykhs of al-Khazim family, he became de facto ruler of most of Kisrawan. His position was de facto recognized by the Ottoman authorities and the Maronite patriarch. In 1860 when a Maronite-Druze conflict erupted, he tried to mobilize some troops in Christian support, but did not take part in the war personally. This led to decrease of his authority, and subsequent defeat at the hands of warlord Yusuf Karam (despite French support). He probably isn't related to you, but who knows.