Lane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Italy 


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

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

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.



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
Lane Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Lane Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Lane Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

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
Lane Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

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

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

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

Contemporary Notables of the name Lane (post 1700) +





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 +





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