Layne
Layne was the 662nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 414 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 564th; the most babies were born in 2021 (434). Over the last ten years it has moved up 49 places. More babies were named Layne in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Lane) lane (surname) · English, Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #662 boys, up 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 414boys
- Girls and boys
- 37% girls, 63% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021434 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,034babies recorded
What does the name Layne mean?
Layne is a spelling of Lane, pronounced the same way, so it shares Lane's meaning and origin.
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
Layne popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,402 | #662 | 156 | 414 |
| 2020 | #931 | #663 | 278 | 397 |
| 2010 | #2,146 | #606 | 92 | 411 |
| 2000 | #1,823 | #779 | 95 | 213 |
| 1990 | #2,003 | #1,344 | 68 | 69 |
| 1980 | #3,782 | #1,322 | 21 | 51 |
| 1970 | #3,072 | #896 | 22 | 81 |
| 1960 | #2,405 | #637 | 25 | 150 |
| 1950 | #1,887 | #967 | 26 | 52 |
| 1940 | — | #1,385 | — | 24 |
| 1930 | — | #2,901 | — | 9 |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Layne, counting every spelling?
Layne is a spelling of Lane, a name family that ranked #215 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #662 for Layne 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 Layne?
414 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Layne (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Layne 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 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Layne.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Layne?
About 13,400 people born in the US named Layne are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 9 and 30. That makes Layne 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.
Layne by state
How common Layne was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (6.1×), Idaho (4.3×), Kentucky (2.9×), Iowa (2.9×), Ohio (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Colorado, New Jersey, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Layne: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Layne, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Layne
What does Layne mean?
Layne is a spelling of Lane, which means “lane (surname)” (English, Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Layne?
Layne was the 662nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 414 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 564th; the most babies were born in 2021 (434). Over the last ten years it has moved up 49 places. More babies were named Layne in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Layne a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 37% girls, 63% boys given the name Layne in the US.
Where is Layne most popular?
In 2021–2025, Layne was most common in West Virginia (1.47 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Wyoming.