Show ContentsLane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's generation of the Lane family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Lane family lived in Staffordshire. Their name is derived from the Old English word lanu and literally translates as dweller in the Lane.

Early Origins of the Lane family

The surname Lane was first found in Staffordshire where the family claim descent from De La Lane as listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey. [1]

This source continues "a family illustrious in history for the part they took in the preservation of King Charles II. After the battle of Worcester, Col. John Lane, head of the house, received the fugitive Prince at his mansion of Bentley, whence his Majesty was conveyed in disguise by the Colonel's eldest sister, Jane Lane, to her cousin Mrs. Norton's residence in Bristol. This loyal lady received after the Restoration an annual pension of £1,000 for life. Her brother, the cavalier Col. Lane was granted the especial badge of honour, the arms of England (three lions passant guardant on a red field) in a canton for his efforts." [1]

The Royal Crown in the crest also bears to the family's recognition as does the family motto which translates as "Guard the King."

Bentley Hall [in Bentley, Staffordshire], the ancient manor-house of the Lane family, is distinguished as the residence of Colonel Lane. The Hall is a neat building standing on an eminence." [2]

Early History of the Lane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lane research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1609, 1626, 1630, 1644, 1651, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1667, 1675, 1689 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lane Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Lane include Lane, Lawn, Lone, Loan, Lain, Laine and others.

Early Notables of the Lane family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Benjamin Lany (Laney) (1591-1675), an English academic and bishop from Ipswich, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge (1630-1644) and (1660-1662), Bishop of Peterborough (1660-1663) of Lincoln (1663-1...
  • Colonel John Lane of Bentley (1609-1667), English Member of Parliament for Lichfield, Staffordshire (1661 to 1667), and Royalist colonel who had given refuge to King Charles II at his Bentley estate f...

Lane World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lane is the 182nd most popular surname with an estimated 134,298 people with that name. [3] However, in Canada, the name Lane is ranked the 438th most popular surname with an estimated 10,797 people with that name. [4] And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Lane is the 75th popular surname with an estimated 363 people with that name. [5] Australia ranks Lane as 165th with 18,753 people. [6] New Zealand ranks Lane as 387th with 1,678 people. [7] The United Kingdom ranks Lane as 197th with 28,857 people. [8]

Ireland Migration of the Lane family to Ireland

Some of the Lane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lane migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Lanes to arrive on North American shores:

Lane Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Lane, aged 30, who landed in Virginia in 1613 aboard the ship "Treasurer" [9]
  • Alice Lane, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" [9]
  • Henery Lane, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Southampton" [9]
  • Thomas Lane, who landed in Virginia in 1623 [9]
  • Rachell Lane, who landed in Virginia in 1628 [9]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lane Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anne Lane, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 [9]
  • Jos Lane, who landed in Virginia in 1703 [9]
  • Henry Lane, who arrived in New England in 1706 [9]
  • Eliza Lane, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 [9]
  • James Lane, who arrived in Virginia in 1729
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lane Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ellen Lane, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 [9]
  • Mary Lane, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [9]
  • Mary Anne Lane, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 [9]
  • Guat Lane, aged 28, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 [9]
  • Charlotte Lane, aged 20, who arrived in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 [9]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lane Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • L Mary Lane, who landed in Colorado in 1906 [9]

Canada Lane migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lane Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Lane Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Edward Lane in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1706 [10]
  • John Lane, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • William Lane, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • William Lane, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Eliz Lane, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lane Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Juliana Lane, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1829
  • James T Lane, who arrived in Canada in 1831
  • Peter Lane, aged 17, a clerk, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Charity" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • John Lane, aged 37, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Charity" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • Ann Lane, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Providence" from Cork, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Lane migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lane Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Lane, (b. 1773), aged 27, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1835 [11]
  • Mr. William Lane, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [12]
  • Mrs. Ann Lane, (b. 1782), aged 30, English servant who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Emu" in October 1812, the ship was captured and the passengers put ashore, the convicts were then transported aboard the "Broxburnebury" in January 1812 arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1869 [13]
  • Miss Elizabeth Lane, (b. 1810), aged 2, English settler travelling with convict Ann Lane, transported aboard the "Emu" in October 1812, the ship was captured and the passengers put ashore, the convicts were then transported aboard the "Broxburnebury" in January 1812 arriving in New South Wales, Australia [13]
  • Mr. Timothy Lane, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [14]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Lane migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lane Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Elizabeth Lane, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
  • Mr. John Lane, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 [15]
  • Mrs. Lane, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK with 5 children aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 [15]
  • Anne Lane, aged 25, a domestic servant, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Poictiers" in 1850
  • Mr. William Lane, (b. 1818), aged 32, British butcher travelling from London aboard the ship "Randolph" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand in September 1850 [16]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Lane migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [17]
Lane Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Richard Lane, aged 28, who landed in St Christopher in 1635 [9]

Contemporary Notables of the name Lane (post 1700) +

  • Susan Russell "Sara" Lane (1949-2023), American actress, best known for her role as an orphaned Wyoming frontier girl Elizabeth Grainger in the NBC western series The Virginian (1962)
  • Mills Bee Lane III (1937-2022), American boxing referee and professional boxer, a two-term Washoe County, Nevada, District Court Judge, and television personality
  • Tommy Lane (1937-2021), American actor from Liberty City, Miami, Florida, known for his work on Live and Let Die (1973), Shaft (1971) and Shamus (1973)
  • John Michael Lane (1936-2020), American epidemiologist and director of the Epidemic Intelligence Service's Global Smallpox Eradication program between 1973 and 1981, known for his leading role in the eradication of smallpox
  • Kenneth Jay Lane (1932-2017), American costume jewelry designer, known for his work for Jacqueline Kennedy, Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, Britney Spears and Nicole Richie and many others
  • Mark Lane (1927-2016), American attorney, New York state legislator and conspiracy theorist on the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy
  • Richard Gautier "Dick" Lane (1927-2015), American politician, Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1966 to 1984, eponym of the Dick Lane Bridge over the Chattahoochee River
  • Louis Gardner Lane (1923-2016), American Grammy Award winning conductor
  • Anthony Samuel "Tony" Lane (1944-2016), American art director for Rolling Stone magazine
  • Francis Lane (b. 1874), American bronze Olympic medalist for 100m run during the 1896 games
  • ... (Another 71 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. Randall Alan Lane (1962-1985), Maine, USA, American Specialist 4th Class from Clarksville, Tennessee, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash [18]
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Herbert F W Lane (b. 1918), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Blue Town, Sheerness, Kent, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [19]
  • Mr. Cyril F Lane (b. 1911), English Shipwright 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Kingston, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [19]
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Frederick J Lane, British Signalman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [20]
Monongah Mine
  • Mr. L. D. Lane (b. 1873), "Layne", Italian coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died [21]
  • Mr. Adam Lane (b. 1891), "Layne", Italian coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died [21]
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. George Benjamin Lane, English 2nd Class passenger from England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping on an swamped boat [22]
  • Sir Hugh Percy Lane, Irish 1st Class Passenger from Dublin, Ireland, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [22]
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Albert Edward Lane (d. 1912), aged 34, English Saloon Steward from Woolston, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking [23]
  • Mr. Patrick Lane (d. 1912), aged 16, Irish Third Class passenger from Limerick, Limerick who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking [23]
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Glenn H. Lane, American Radioman Third Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking [24]
  • Mr. Edward Wallace Lane, American Coxswain working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [24]
  • Mr. Mancel Curtis Lane, American Seaman First Class from Oklahoma, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [24]


The Lane Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Garde le Roy
Motto Translation: Guard the king.


Suggested Readings for the name Lane +

  • The Lane Robertson Families of Amherst County, Virginia by Lyle Keith Williams.
  • Lain (also Lane), Lowrance, Lorance, and Related Families by Nadine Lain.

  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  8. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  9. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  10. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Emu
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  18. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
  19. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  20. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  21. Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).
  22. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  23. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  24. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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