This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Lane family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Lane Family History

Lane Surname Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived in a lane from Middle English Old English lane originally a narrow way between fences or hedges, later used to denote any narrow pathway, including one between houses in a town.

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Laighin ‘descendant of Laighean’ a byname meaning ‘spear or javelin’. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Luain ‘descendant of Luan’ a byname meaning ‘warrior’, formerly Anglicized as O'Loan. See also Lamb.

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Liatháin (see Lehane). Swedish: probably a habitational name from the district Lane in the province of Bohuslän in western Sweden.

Compare Lene. French: variant of Lasne, a nickname for a stubborn man or for an owner of a donkey from Old French asne ‘donkey’, with fused definite article l'.

Americanized form of French Laine.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Lane family from?

You can see how Lane families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lane family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lane families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 357 Lane families living in New York. This was about 16% of all the recorded Lane's in USA. New York had the highest population of Lane families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lane surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Lane ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Lane. 16% of Lane men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Lane women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lane were Truck Driver and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Lane | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    16%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Lane family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Lane. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lane census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Lane

Passenger Lists

There are 93,000 immigration records available for the last name Lane. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Lane immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 165,000 military records available for the last name Lane. For the veterans among your Lane ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lane military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lane family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Lane family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial