Lane
Lane was the 250th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,383 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 246th; the most babies were born in 2019 (1,407). Over the last ten years it has moved up 47 places. More babies were named Lane in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning lane (surname) · English, Irish
Say it LAYN /leɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #250 boys, up 6 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,383boys
- Girls and boys
- 7% girls, 93% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20191,407 babies
- Total since 1880
- 52,177babies recorded
What does the name Lane mean?
Lane is an English surname for someone who lived by a lane, a narrow road or path, according to Wiktionary. As an Irish surname it is an English form of several Gaelic names, and Wiktionary names Laighin as one of them. As a first name it is a transferred surname, used for both boys and girls, and Wikipedia lists it as unisex.
lane (Middle English, “narrow road, path”)lanu (Old English, “lane”)
How sure is this? Well established. English topographic origin is clear; Irish Lane families have other Gaelic surnames behind them.
Related names: Laine, Layne, Laney.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lane', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Lane (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Lane popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,805 | #250 | 112 | 1,383 |
| 2020 | #1,867 | #256 | 104 | 1,372 |
| 2010 | #2,576 | #303 | 71 | 1,062 |
| 2000 | #2,094 | #296 | 78 | 1,015 |
| 1990 | #2,002 | #558 | 68 | 328 |
| 1980 | #2,676 | #727 | 35 | 146 |
| 1970 | #2,478 | #531 | 30 | 232 |
| 1960 | #2,338 | #476 | 26 | 277 |
| 1950 | #1,745 | #539 | 30 | 160 |
| 1940 | #2,247 | #752 | 14 | 67 |
| 1930 | — | #923 | — | 53 |
| 1920 | — | #1,573 | — | 24 |
| 1910 | — | #1,372 | — | 7 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Lane, counting every spelling?
Lane is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #215 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #250 for Lane on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,812 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane | 1,383 | #250 | 6,750 |
| Layne | 414 | #662 | 2,070 |
| Lain | 15 | #6,022 | 69 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lane?
1,383 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lane (0.38 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lane born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lane.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lane?
About 44,000 people born in the US named Lane are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 9 and 29. That makes Lane mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lane by state
How common Lane was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (6.2×), Montana (5.2×), South Dakota (3.8×), Nebraska (3.7×), Iowa (3.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Connecticut, Massachusetts, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lane: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lane, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lane · Sibling names for Lane
Questions about the name Lane
What does Lane mean?
Lane means “lane (surname)” (English, Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lane?
Lane was the 250th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,383 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 246th; the most babies were born in 2019 (1,407). Over the last ten years it has moved up 47 places. More babies were named Lane in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Lane a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 7% girls, 93% boys given the name Lane in the US.
Where is Lane most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lane was most common in Wyoming (4.84 per 1,000 boys), followed by Montana and South Dakota.