NameCensus.

UK surname

Lanes

An English surname derived from the Old English word "lane" meaning a narrow path or road.

In the 1881 census there were 247 people recorded with the Lanes surname, ranking it #11,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, down from #11,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Holy Trinity, Micklegate and Clifton, North. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Kesteven, North Dorset and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lanes is 497 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.3%.

1881 census count

247

Ranked #11,173

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

1861

497 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lanes had 247 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 497 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lanes surname distribution map

The map shows where the Lanes surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Lanes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lanes over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 177 #11,441
1861 historical 497 #5,262
1881 historical 247 #11,173
1891 historical 262 #12,297
1901 historical 179 #16,227
1911 historical 205 #14,733
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 125 #24,198
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 114 #27,363
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 122 #26,647
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 131 #26,089
2015 modern 128 #26,356
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Lanes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Holy Trinity, Micklegate, Clifton, North, Lincoln St Martin and Gainsborough, Paddocks. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Kesteven, North Dorset, Newark and Sherwood, Nottingham and Lincoln. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Holy Trinity, Micklegate Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Clifton, North Nottinghamshire
4 Lincoln St Martin Lincolnshire
5 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Kesteven 003 North Kesteven
2 North Dorset 008 North Dorset
3 Newark and Sherwood 010 Newark and Sherwood
4 Nottingham 011 Nottingham
5 Lincoln 003 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lanes

These lists show first names that appear often with the Lanes surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lanes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lanes, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Lanes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lanes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lanes is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lanes is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lanes falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lanes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lanes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lanes

The surname LANES is an English toponymic name derived from the Old English word "lane", meaning a narrow way or path between hedges, walls or houses. It originated as a habitation name, given to someone who lived by or near a lane.

The name first appears in records in the early 13th century, with the spelling variants Atte Lane, Alane, and Delane among the earliest recorded forms. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Atte Lane, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1246.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name can be found scattered across various English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 list several individuals with the name, such as William de la Lane in Oxfordshire and Reginald de la Lane in Cambridgeshire.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not include the surname LANES directly, but it mentions several place names that may have contributed to the development of the name, such as Laneham in Nottinghamshire and Lanesborough in Gloucestershire.

Notable historical figures with the surname LANES include Sir Ralph Lanes (c. 1530-1603), an English explorer and colonial governor who led the first English settlement attempt in North America at Roanoke Island in 1585. Another is Thomas Lanes (c. 1620-1688), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the second president of Harvard College from 1672 to 1678.

Other individuals of note are John Lanes (c. 1550-1624), an English composer and lutenist during the Renaissance period, and Edward Lanes (1742-1820), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

In the 19th century, James Lanes (1813-1893) was a prominent English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lanes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lanes surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 55 Lanes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.32x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 55 2.32x
Lincolnshire 54 14.13x
Kent 39 4.78x
Nottinghamshire 20 6.21x
Middlesex 17 0.71x
Gloucestershire 9 1.92x
Essex 8 1.70x
Lancashire 6 0.21x
Sussex 6 1.49x
Derbyshire 4 1.07x
Glamorgan 4 0.96x
Herefordshire 3 3.06x
Norfolk 3 0.82x
Staffordshire 3 0.37x
Surrey 2 0.17x
Warwickshire 2 0.33x
Wiltshire 2 0.95x
Worcestershire 2 0.64x
Devon 1 0.20x
Dorset 1 0.64x
Durham 1 0.14x
Hampshire 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.38x
Northamptonshire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Luke London in Middlesex leads with 11 Lanes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.70x.

Place Total Index
St Luke London 11 28.70x
Upper Hardres 10 4166.67x
Batley 8 35.56x
Cheltenham 8 22.12x
Coleby 8 2285.71x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 16.61x
Gainsborough 8 88.79x
Greenwich 8 21.03x
Harby 8 2758.62x
York Holy Trinity 8 390.24x
Brightside Bierlow 7 15.07x
Hunslet 7 18.95x
Bromley 6 48.27x
Lower Hardres 6 2608.70x
East Barkwith 5 1785.71x
Folkestone 5 31.61x
Stanstead 5 1282.05x
Leeds 4 2.99x
Preston 4 5.27x
Rottingdean 4 289.86x
Skirbeck 4 186.92x
St Martin Lincoln 4 112.68x
Swinton In Rotherham 4 63.90x
Boston 3 25.88x
Eckington 3 33.00x
Newark Upon Trent 3 25.91x
North Kyme 3 526.32x
St Swithin Lincoln 3 49.92x
Thornton 3 1875.00x
Walford 3 306.12x
Barking 2 14.49x
Basford 2 13.47x
Birmingham 2 1.00x
Cardiff St John 2 14.72x
East Stockwith 2 740.74x
Kingswinford 2 6.83x
Lewisham 2 4.60x
Lofthouse 2 56.50x
Margam 2 43.10x
Misterton 2 200.00x
Moulton 2 108.70x
Old Sleaford 2 465.12x
St George Hanover Square 2 4.75x
Stowe With Normanby 2 833.33x
Watton 2 173.91x
West Clayton 2 169.49x
Wortley In Bramley 2 10.66x
Alkham 1 212.77x
Aubourn 1 588.24x
Barlings 1 263.16x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.77x
Cornforth 1 47.85x
Cowfold 1 117.65x
Everton 1 1.11x
Fyfield 1 666.67x
Glossop Dale 1 5.71x
Gringley On Hill 1 147.06x
Halstock 1 277.78x
Harpswell 1 1000.00x
Kingscote 1 454.55x
Lambeth 1 0.48x
Leatherhead 1 34.25x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.55x
Leigh 1 26.39x
Mile End New Town London 1 21.19x
Morley 1 8.12x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 1 42.02x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.20x
Ordsall 1 40.49x
Penistone 1 54.05x
Pilham 1 1250.00x
Salisbury St Edmund 1 29.50x
Salt Enson 1 285.71x
South Bersted 1 29.15x
St Pancras London 1 0.52x
Sutterton 1 131.58x
Wakefield 1 5.50x
Welford 1 131.58x
West Ham 1 0.96x
Wolborough 1 15.90x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Lanes surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 15
Elizabeth 11
Mary 11
Annie 7
Ann 6
Emma 5
Jane 5
Fanny 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Alice 3
Amelia 3
Edith 3
Emily 3
Maria 3
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Elisabeth 2
Eliza 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Betsy 1
Brusty 1
Clara 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Fre...sse 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Lizzy 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Lanes surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 14
James 11
Thomas 10
William 10
George 7
Charles 6
Joseph 6
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Fredrick 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
David 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Albert 1
Alexandre 1
Chas.Jos. 1
Curtis 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Fredrik. 1
Geo.Robt. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Joe 1
Lydia 1
Mary 1
Patrick 1
Reginald 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lanes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lanes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 247 people were recorded with the Lanes surname. That placed it at #11,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lanes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Lanes a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Lanes surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "lane" meaning a narrow path or road.

What does the Lanes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Lanes bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.