Deane
A habitational surname for someone who lived near or in a dean, meaning a valley or low-lying place.
The #5,393 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,838 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Deane is mainly a locational surname. The name goes back to Old English denu, meaning “valley,” and originally referred to someone who lived at or near such a place. In older records the form atte Dene often meant “at the dean,” showing a residence-by-place origin.
History
This surname appears in many spellings, including Dean, Deane, and Dene, and it was attached to multiple places called Dean in England. It is well established in English records and later spread widely through Britain and then to North America and other English-speaking regions. Some bearers may also come from specific places named Dean rather than from the topographic word itself.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some early records use the preposition in surnames, as in atte Dene or even the old-style form d Becket, which helped create modern surnames like Dean.
From the historical record
“Reg. IJniir. Oif. vol. Ii. pt. li. p. laS. ig97. Uarried-JtAn Deane and Ann Beak ; St. Mary Aldermarv. p. JS- London, 14,31, 1 ; Philadelphia, 9^ 40, 3. B«ain, Bo&nu, Beamas. —”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances