Find out how popular the last name Lane is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lane.

Lane, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lane in America

Lane is the 216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lane surname appeared 134,227 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 46 people would have the surname Lane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lane to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lane

The surname "LANE" is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "lane," which referred to a narrow path or road between hedges or fences, often leading to a village or dwelling. The name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on such a lane.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "de la Lane" and "atte Lane," indicating that the bearer resided near a specific lane.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname became more widespread and was often associated with place names that incorporated the word "lane." For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention individuals named "William de la Lane" and "Robert atte Lane" from different locations.

In the 15th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of "Lane." Notable bearers of the name from this period include Sir Ralph Lane (c. 1530 - 1603), an English explorer and colonial governor of the first English settlement on Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina.

The 16th and 17th centuries saw the emergence of several prominent individuals with the surname Lane. One such figure was Jane Lane (1600 - 1689), an English royalist who famously aided the escape of King Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, disguising him as her servant.

In the 18th century, Sir Thomas Lane (1700 - 1784) was a British naval officer who served in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He rose to the rank of Admiral of the Red and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Plymouth naval station.

The 19th century brought forth individuals like Edward William Lane (1801 - 1876), a renowned English orientalist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Arabic language and culture through his extensive translations and research.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname in the 20th century was Nathan Lane (born 1956), an American actor and writer known for his roles in various Broadway musicals and films, such as "The Producers" and "The Birdcage."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lane

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lane.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lane was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lane has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lane was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lane, please contact us.

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