Lanier Family History

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Lanier Name Meaning

French, Dutch, and English: occupational name for someone involved in the wool trade, from an agent derivative of Old French la(i)ne ‘wool’. French and Dutch: occupational name, with the definite article, for a pack driver, from French âne ‘ass’, ‘donkey’ (Latin asinus). French and Dutch: nickname for a falconer, from Old French lanier, lenier, a kind of falcon. French and Dutch: nickname for a lazy, slow, timid, or cowardly person, from Old French lanier, lenier.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Manier, Mander, Lander, Lavier, Laier, Panter, Larmer, Ranger, Laufer

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Lanier Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Lanier name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Lanier. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    54%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    17%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    6%

  • Germanic Europe

    5%

  • Benin/Togo

    4%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Lanier Family Origin

Where is the Lanier family from?

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You can see how Lanier families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lanier family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lanier families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Lanier families living in Channel Islands. This was about 50% of all the recorded Lanier's in the UK. Channel Islands had the highest population of Lanier families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lanier surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Lanier

Lanier Family Occupations

What did your Lanier ancestors do for a living?

In 1880, a less common occupation for the Lanier family was Farming. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Lanier. The most common Lanier occupation in the USA was Farmer. 52% of Lanier's were Farmers.

View Census data for Lanier | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    52%

  • Laborer

    7%

  • Keeping House

    6%

  • Farming

    6%

United States shown, England data unavailable

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Lanier ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Lanier Historical Records

What Lanier family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Lanier. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lanier census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Lanier

Passenger List

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Lanier. 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 Lanier immigration records

Draft Card

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Lanier. For the veterans among your Lanier ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lanier military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lanier family history.

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Lanier Life Expectancy

What is the average Lanier lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Lanier life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Lanier in 1942 was 27, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lanier

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lanier 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.

Famous Lanier Family Ancestors

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