Layne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Layne is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Layne 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 Layne family

The surname Layne 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 Layne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Layne 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 Layne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Layne Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Lane, Lawn, Lone, Loan, Lain, Laine and others.

Early Notables of the Layne 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 (1663-1667) and of Ely (1667-1675); 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...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Layne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Layne Ranking

In the United States, the name Layne is the 2,380^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Layne family to Ireland

Some of the Layne 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.

Layne migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Layne or a variant listed above:

Layne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Layne, who landed in Virginia in 1619 4
Robert Layne, who landed in Virginia in 1643 4
Robert Layne, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 4

Layne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Layne, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Layne (post 1700) +

Nora Layne, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1920 5
John S. Layne, American politician, Representative from Kentucky 10th District, 1924 5
John A. Layne, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Dakota, 1940, 1944, 1948; North Dakota Democratic State Chair, 1949 5
J. M. Layne, American politician, Mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, 1878-79, 1882-83 5
Harvey Layne Jr., American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Fayette County, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1972 5
Harry O. Layne, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Mason County, 1942, 1948; Member of West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee, 1961 5
Grover C. Layne, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Ralls County Democratic Party, 1939-43 5
Geraldine Dyer Layne, American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee, 1945-49 5
Carney Milton Layne Jr. (1921-1977), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Cabell County, 1951-52 5
Carney Milton Layne (b. 1878), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Cabell County, 1915-16; Chair of Cabell County Democratic Party, 1917 5
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Layne 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.

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html