Contents [hide]

Laing History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Laing History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The name Laing comes from the ancient Anglo-Norman culture of Scotland and Britain. It was a name for a person who was considered long and tall. Of the many surnames in Scotland, the surname Laing is considered among etymologists to be one of the oldest. It belongs to a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames. As a nickname surname Laing could refer either directly or indirectly to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Early Origins of the Laing family

The surname Laing was first found in at Berwyke in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where William Lange rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. A few years later in 1341, Adam Lang was listed in an inquest of land in Aberdeenshire. Walter Lang was the burgess of Edinburgh in 1381 and 1392. Robert Lang was chaplain to Duncan, Earl of Lennox between 1394 and 1398. The name occurs in Old English charters as early as 972 A.D, e.g., "Aetheric thes langa," and the name means 'long' or 'tall'.

Early History of the Laing family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laing research. Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1357, 1394, 1467, 1483, 1502 and 1594 are included under the topic Early Laing History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laing Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lang, Lange, Laing, Layng, Loynachans and others.

Early Notables of the Laing family

Notable among the family at this time was

John Laing (died 1483), Scottish prelate, Bishop of Glasgow and Chancellor of Scotland

Laing World Ranking

In the United States, the name Laing is the 5,306^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Laing is ranked the 641^st most popular surname with an estimated 69 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name Laing is the 423^rd popular surname with an estimated 1,571 people with that name. 3 The United Kingdom ranks Laing as 804^th with 8,370 people. 4

Migration of the Laing family to Ireland

Some of the Laing 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.

Laing migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Laing Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Laing who settled in Maryland in 1722
Alexander Laing, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775

Laing Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gilbert Laing, who settled in New York State in 1820
Alexander Laing, who arrived in America in 1834 5
Betty Laing, who landed in America in 1834 5
James Laing, aged 26, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 5
Thomas Laing, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Laing migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Laing Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Alexander Laing, aged 27, a farmer, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Ann Laing, aged 30, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
John Laing, aged 5, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Elizabeth Laing, aged 3, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Alexander Laing, aged 1, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Laing migration to Australia +

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

Laing Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Laing, (b. 1808), aged 19, Scottish seaman who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 14 years for robbery, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Andrew Laing, (Mitchell), Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Ann Laing, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Indus" in 1839 8
Mr. James Laing, English convict who was convicted in Bedfordshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Robert Laing, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Stag" 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Laing 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:

Laing Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Peter Laing, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1849
Mr. Laing, American settler travelling from California aboard the ship "Titan" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th February 1852 11
Mr. D. Laing, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 11
Mrs. Laing, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 11
Miss Helen Laing, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Laing (post 1700) +

Gordon Jennings Laing (1869-1945), American classical scholar
Dilys Laing (1906-1960), American poet
Philip P. Laing, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Windsor; Elected 1948 12
Philip A. Laing, American politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 8th District, 1920 12
Marion H. Laing, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly, 1917, 1919, 1920 12
John J. G. Laing, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Waukesha, Wisconsin, 1937-50 12
John D. Laing, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Cattaraugus County, 1918, 1929 12
John A. Laing, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Wayne County 2nd District, 1859 12
John Laing, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1924 12
James R. Laing, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Michigan State Attorney General, 1886 12
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Laing family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Freeman Laing, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13

HMS Hood

Mr. John Laing (b. 1911), Scottish Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) INDUS 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Indus.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STAG 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Stag.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
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