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Lane Family History

Lane Name 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'.7: Americanized form of French Laine

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


Similar surnames: Cane, Laine, Land, Dane, Lake, Lance, Lade, Lace, Kane, Line

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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 1891 there were 3,954 Lane families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Lane's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Lane families in 1891.
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.

What did your Lane ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Lane. 7% of Lane men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Lane women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lane were Bricklayer and Incapacitated. .

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Australian 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 Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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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.

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What is the average Lane lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Lane life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Lane in 1941 was 41, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lane

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