boy's name
Lane
LAYN (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 54,178
the United States
#250
2025 births
Lane means a narrow way between hedges, and it is one of only two names in this sweep birth records mark as rising — it peaked in 2019 and stands at 250th in the United States on 1,495 births.
- Lane is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2019, when 1,505 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,218 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lane Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 |
| 1890s | 16 |
| 1900s | 24 |
| 1910s | 182 |
| 1920s | 409 |
| 1930s | 622 |
| 1940s | 1,161 |
| 1950s | 2,341 |
| 1960s | 2,663 |
| 1970s | 1,781 |
| 1980s | 2,509 |
| 1990s | 7,725 |
| 2000s | 11,010 |
| 2010s | 12,967 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 8,756 |
What Lane Means
Lane means a narrow road or path, particularly one running between hedges or banks. It names a kind of ground, so it locates a family rather than describing a person.
Where Lane Comes From
Lane is the Old English lanu, a narrow way — specifically the sort bounded by hedges or banks rather than an open road, which is why a lane is still narrower than a street. It became a surname for someone living beside one, and its use as a given name is American. The word survives with its original sense intact in country lane and, by extension, in the marked divisions of a road or a swimming pool.
Lane in Use
Lane peaked in the United States in 2019, when 1,505 babies were registered, and it is rising. It now ranks 250th in the United States on 1,495 births and 3,340th in England and Wales on 6, across 54,178 lifetime births in three markets. About 9 percent of recorded births are female. It is on record from 1881.
How Popular Is Lane?
In 2025, Lane was given to 1,495 babies in the United States, ranking #250 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Lane Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Lane
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Lane Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lane over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Lane
- English LAYN /leɪn/
Lane in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Lane
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Lane — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Lane
What does the name Lane mean?
A narrow way — the Old English lanu, particularly one between hedges.
Is Lane rising?
It is rising, at 250th in the United States.
Why is a lane narrower than a road?
The original word meant a way bounded by hedges or banks, and the sense stuck.
Is Lane a boys' or girls' name?
Mostly boys — about 9 percent of recorded births are female.
How popular is the name Lane?
In 2025, Lane was given to 1,495 babies in the United States, ranking #250 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Lane?
Lane has 1 syllable.
When was Lane most popular?
Lane peaked in 2019, when 1,505 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Lane a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lane currently ranks #250 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.