Explore the Family Name Lane
The meaning of Lane
1. 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. 2. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Laighin ‘descendant of Laighean’, a byname meaning ‘spear or javelin’. 3. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Luain ‘descendant of Luan’, a byname meaning ‘warrior’, formerly Anglicized as O’Loan. See also Lamb. 4. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Liatháin (see Lehane). 5. Swedish: probably a habitational name from the district Lane in the province of Bohuslän in western Sweden. Compare Lene. 6. 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 3.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lane in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Lane's popularity has seen a slight decrease in rank from 209 to 216 between 2000 and 2010, marking a change of -3.35%. However, the number of individuals carrying this surname increased by 4.27% during the same time period, with a count of 128,727 in 2000 that rose to 134,227 in 2010. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100k people dipped by -4.65%, illustrating that the name Lane became slightly less common relative to the overall population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #209 | #216 | -3.35% |
| Count | 128,727 | 134,227 | 4.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 47.72 | 45.5 | -4.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lane
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Lane also shifted between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest growth was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, with a 51.3% increase. There was also a significant rise (39.47%) in people identifying as having two or more races. The Asian/Pacific Islander category saw a 22% increase, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw an 8.24% rise. Individuals identifying as Black saw a smaller increase of 4.07%. Conversely, there was a slight decline of 2.80% in the number of people identifying as White, implying a gradual shift towards a more diverse ethnic identity distribution among those with the surname Lane.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.36% | 77.14% | -2.8% |
| Black | 16.22% | 16.88% | 4.07% |
| Hispanic | 1.54% | 2.33% | 51.3% |
| Two or More Races | 1.52% | 2.12% | 39.47% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.85% | 0.92% | 8.24% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.61% | 22% |
Lane ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Lane is British & Irish, which comprises 53.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.3%) and Eastern European (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.7% |
| French & German | 22.3% |
| Eastern European | 4.1% |
| Other | 19.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Lane
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Lane have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
What Lane haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Lane is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z282 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Thompson, Wilson, Cooper, Turner, Gray, Martin, Green, Taylor, Brown.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lane surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lane have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lane" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lane" Surname 27.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lane" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lane" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lane?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Lane are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition