Lanier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The name Lanier is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was originally a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as alanelier which was an Old French word denoting a maker of woollen cloth. The original bearers of this surname were those individuals who dressed, wove and sold wool. The lanelier would have had his own business premises so that he could have weavers make the wool into sellable garments.

Early Origins of the Lanier family

The surname Lanier was first found in Huntingdonshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Lanier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanier research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1279, 1292, 1561, 1567, 1569, 1588, 1611, 1625, 1645 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Lanier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanier Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Lanier are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Lanier include Laner, Lanyer, Layner, Leyner, Laneir and others.

Early Notables of the Lanier family

Distinguished members of the family include

Nicholas Lanier the Elder, a French musician who arrived in England in 1561 and settled in London

Lanier Ranking

In the United States, the name Lanier is the 1,696^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Lanier is ranked the 3,716^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Lanier migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Lanier or a variant listed above:

Lanier Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Lanier, who arrived in Virginia in 1657
John Lanier, who arrived in Virginia in 1676 3

Lanier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Marie Lanier, who settled in Louisiana in 1732

Lanier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Adam Lanier, who arrived in New Orleans in 1847
Charles Lanier, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1893
J.F.D. Lanier, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1893
Chas. Lanier, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1894
Elisa Lanier, who immigrated to America, in 1895
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lanier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Day Lanier, who settled in America, in 1903
Aleka Lanier, aged 39, who landed in America, in 1905
Charles Lanier, aged 46, who landed in America, in 1905
Julie Lanier, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
James F. D. Lanier, aged 51, who settled in America, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lanier 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. 4

Lanier Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Robertt Lanier, who arrived in Barbados in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Lanier (post 1700) +

Robert Jerry "Bob" Lanier Jr. (1948-2022), American professional NBA basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992
Bob Lanier (1925-2014), American businessman and politician, 58th Mayor of the city of Houston, Texas (1992-1998)
Willie Edward Lanier (b. 1945), American football player
Sidney Lanier (1842-1881), American poet and musician
Thomas Lanier (1911-1983), birth name of Tenessee Williams, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer
Bob Lanier (b. 1948), American professional basketball player and businessperson
Jaron Lanier (b. 1960), American virtual reality developer
James Lanier, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Tennessee, 1956 5
J. Smith II Lanier, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1964, 1972; Candidate for Presidential Elector for Alabama, 1968 5
Edwin Sidney Lanier (1901-1983), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1949-55; Member of North Carolina State Senate 16th District, 1957-59 5
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html