Tanner may be a surname of either English, German or Finnish origin.

The Anglo-Saxon Tanner was an occupational surname referring to an individual involved in the tannery process.

The German form, also spelled Danner, is likely topographic from German Tanne, meaning 'fir tree' and Tann, a place name referring to this.

In the Finnish language surname the word tanner is a synonym for 'field' or 'ground'.