McLane
An Anglicized Gaelic surname that usually points to a son of someone named Léan or Lean, and is closely related to McLean and MacLean.
The #6,077 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,742 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McLane is an Anglicized Gaelic surname built on Mac/Mc, meaning “son of,” plus a personal name. It is generally treated as a variant of MacLean/McLean, ultimately referring to descent from a man called Léan, Lean, or a similar Gaelic personal name. Because the old spellings overlap heavily, the exact original form can vary by family line and region.
History
The name appears in older records alongside MacLean, McLean, and MacLaine, showing that these spellings were long used interchangeably in English-language sources. In North America, McLane became fixed as a distinct spelling in some families, even where the underlying surname tradition was the same as McLean. The name is especially associated with Scottish Gaelic naming traditions, though Irish families can also bear similar Mc- surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname lists often grouped McLane and McLean together, which is a good reminder that modern spellings can hide a shared earlier surname tradition.
From the historical record
“triAc 510IIA eAiti, MacAlean, MacClean, MacClane, Mac Lean, MacLaine. MacLane, etc. iriAc 510IIA eATiAui, Gilleran, Gilrain, Gilrane, Killeran Kilrain, Kilrane.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames