| ![Show Contents]() Fane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname Fane is derived from the Middle English words "fein," "fayn," or " fane," which all mean "glad." The name was a nickname for a happy or good-natured person. The name could also have been a local name derived from the expression "at the van" or in other words near the "threshing-floor" derived from the word "van" which was a threshing instrument. Early Origins of the Fane familyThe surname Fane was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), where the ancestors of the earls of Westmorland, "wrote their name Vane, and descended from Howel ap Vane, living there before the time of William the Conqueror" 1 living about the year 1060. Another reference states: "The Fanes or Vanes are said to have originated from Wales; in the reign of Henry VI, they were seated at Hilden in Tunbridge, in Kent, by marriage with the Peshalls." 2 Early History of the Fane familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fane research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1589, 1602, 1613, 1616, 1625, 1626, 1629, 1639, 1645, 1653, 1655, 1662, 1663, 1666, 1680, 1681, 1682, 1689, 1693, 1708, 1710, 1715, 1721, 1723, 1727 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Fane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fane Spelling VariationsThe Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Fane have included Fane, Ap Fane, Fain, Vane, Vain, Veynes, Vanes and others. Early Notables of the Fane familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was - Francis Fane (1580-1629), 1st Earl of Westmorland (second creation)
- Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland (1602-1666), an English nobleman, politician, and writer
- Lady Mary Fane (1639-1681) was the daughter of Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland
- George Fane (c. 1616-1663) was an English politician who fought for the Royalist army in the English Civil War
- The Honourable Mildmay Fane (1689-1715), a British politician, Member of Parliament for Kent in 1715
- Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland KB (1645-1693), Lord Lieutenant of Kent
Fane RankingIn the United States, the name Fane is the 16,957th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3  Migration of the Fane family to Ireland
Some of the Fane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Fane 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. 4Fane Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century- Richard Fane, who settled in Barbados in 1635
- Richard Fane, aged 15, who landed in Barbados in 1635 5
- Mr. Richard Fane, (b. 1620), aged 15, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Fane (post 1700) | + |
- David Anthony Thomas Fane (1924-1993), 15th Earl of Westmorland
- John Fane (1759-1841), 10th Earl of Westmorland, British Tory politician, Lord Privy Seal
- Frederick Fane (1875-1960), Irish born cricketer, who captained England on five occasions
- Fane Michael Flaws (1951-2021), New Zealand musician, songwriter, and artist, member of the bands Blerta, Spats, and The Crocodiles
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: Ne vile fano
Motto Translation: Bring nothing base to the template.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
- 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)
- Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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Fane migration to West Indies 
Wales
Ireland
