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Irish surname

Lane: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Laighin · 'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear)

Woulfe (1923) lists Lane among the anglicised forms of Ó Laighin, 'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear), and gives three families of that name: in Galway, in Kildare and in Kerry. He also prints a Norman 'de Lane', which he calls very rare and says nearly all Irish Lanes are of Irish origin. In 1890, 49 of the 69 Lane birth entries in Ireland were in Munster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Lane surname
Irish formÓ Laighin
Meaning'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear)
CountiesGalway, Kildare, Kerry, Cork
Other spellings5
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Lane crest gifts

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Origin of the Lane name

Woulfe, under Ó Laighin: the name (1) of an ancient family in Co. Galway, in the barony of Kilconnell; (2) of a Kildare family, formerly seated at Cill, now Kill, near Naas; (3) of an old Kerry family. 'The name is now very common all over Ireland.'[1]

  1. 189069 Lane birth entries in Ireland: Leinster 10, Munster 49, Ulster 3, Connaught 7; 38 in Cork and 10 in Limerick.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwayWoulfe: ancient family who held property in the barony of Kilconnell to the end of the 17th century.[1]
Co. KildareWoulfe: a family formerly seated at Cill, now Kill, near Naas.[1]
Co. KerryWoulfe: an old Kerry family; in Kerry now generally pronounced Ó Leighin.[1]
Co. CorkMatheson 1890: 38 of the 69 Lane entries were in Cork.[3]
Co. LimerickMatheson 1890: 10 of the 69 Lane entries were in Limerick.[3]

Other spellings

O'Lane · Layne · Lyne · Leane · Leyne[1]

The Lane coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Lane surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Lane surname: questions

What does the surname Lane mean in Irish?

Woulfe gives Lane among the forms of Ó Laighin, 'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear).[1]

Is Lane an Irish or an English name?

Woulfe lists Ó Laighin with Lane among its anglicised forms. He also prints a Norman 'de Lane' (Middle English 'atte Lane', 'at the Lane', from residence by a lane), which he calls very rare in Ireland, adding that nearly all Irish Lanes are of Irish origin.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Lane name from?

Woulfe gives families in Galway (barony of Kilconnell), Kildare (Cill, now Kill, near Naas) and Kerry. In 1890, 38 of the 69 Lane birth entries were in Cork and 10 in Limerick.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Ó Laighin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-laighin.php
  2. de Léighinn, de Léin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-leighinn-de-lein.php
  3. Lane — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/lane.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).