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Laine Family History

Laine Surname Meaning

French and West Indian (mainly Haiti) (Laîné): distinguishing epithet from French l'aîné ‘the eldest (son)’ used to identify the older of two bearers of the same name in a family. Altered form (Laîné) of French Lesné which is a cognate of 1 above or perhaps a nickname for a shoemaker from a shortened form of Old French alesne ‘awl’.

Compare Laney French: metonymic occupational name for a worker or dealer in wool from laine ‘wool’ (from Latin lana). Compare Lane 7.

Finnish: ornamental name from laine ‘wave’. It was adopted in huge numbers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries mainly in southern and southwestern Finland at first to replace Swedish surnames and later on some less well-liked Finnish surnames.

It is the prototype of the fashionable nature-related surnames that lack the surname suffix -nen overtaking in popularity the type Virtanen on which they are modelled.

Irish (northern): shortened form of Scottish McLean. English: variant of Lane.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Laine family from?

You can see how Laine families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Laine family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Laine families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 139 Laine families living in Channel Islands. This was about 45% of all the recorded Laine's in United Kingdom. Channel Islands had the highest population of Laine families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Laine surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Laine ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Laine. 50% of Laine men worked as a Bricklayer and 77% of Laine women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Laine were Builders Labourer and Teacher In Own School Of Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Laine | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Bricklayer
    50%
  • Builders Labourer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Private Means
    10%
  • Dressmaking Fitter
    5%
  • Teacher In Own School Of Unpaid Domestic
    5%

What Laine family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Laine. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Laine census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Laine

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Laine. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Laine immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Laine. For the veterans among your Laine ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Laine family history

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What is the average Laine lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Laine life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Laine in 1944 was 27, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Laine

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Laine ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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