Maness (surname)

Maness is an American surname of Dutch origin. Germanic settlers from Holland settled the low-lying coastal areas of the Carolinas in the 17th and 18th centuries, but did not own slaves. Notable people with the surname include:

Many genealogy researchers point to the Maness surname being of Scottish origin. Maness is a sept of Clan Gunn, one of the oldest Scottish clans located in northeastern Scotland in the area of Caithness, Sutherland and possibly the Orkney Islands. Scottish origin is further evidenced by the first Maness to settle in North America, William Maness, who arrived in Virginia from Scotland in or around 1715. He returned to Scotland for several years before finally returning to the colonies and settling in Moore County, North Carolina. According to DNA testing most Maness's in the USA are descendants of William Maness.
 * Jack Maness, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist
 * Ryan Maness, American cybersecurity expert and co-author
 * Seth Maness (born 1988), American baseball pitcher