The name Lanie is a diminutive form of the French name Arlene, which itself derives from the German name Arlinda. Arlinda is a combination of the Germanic elements 'ari' meaning "eagle" and 'lind' meaning "serpent". The name first appeared during the Middle Ages in various Germanic regions of Europe.

Arlene and its variations like Lanie likely came into use in France during the 11th or 12th century. The earliest known recorded instance of the name Lanie dates back to the late 13th century in a French parish register. It was particularly popular among noble families in northern France during this time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Lanie de Montfort, a French noblewoman born around 1275. She was a courtier in the royal court of King Philip IV. Another early example is Lanie du Plessis, a wealthy landowner from Normandy born circa 1320.

During the Renaissance period in the 16th century, the name saw a resurgence in popularity across Europe. Lanie Grimaldi (1495-1561) was an Italian noble from the House of Grimaldi who ruled as regent of Monaco. The Flemish painter Lanie van der Neer (1603-1681) was a pioneer of nocturnal landscape painting in the Dutch Golden Age.

In England, Lady Lanie Grey (1619-1679) was an aristocrat and writer during the 17th century Stuart period. She is known for her memoir detailing life in the English court. The 18th century saw Lanie Delany (1700-1788), an English artist and woman of letters who was famous for her cut-paper illustrations and correspondence with literary figures like Jonathan Swift.