# Lanier (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/lanier/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 20,997 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,712 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 14,704 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.0% (20,181 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈleɪnjə(ɹ)/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Old French lanier, from laine (“wool”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Lanier in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 67% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 28% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.9% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Lanier in the United States and France.

## People named Lanier

- Jaron Lanier, American computer scientist, musician, and author
- Sidney Lanier, American musician and poet (1842–1881)
- Bob Lanier, American basketball player (1948–2022)
- Allen Lanier, American musician (1946-2013)
- Susan Lanier, American television and film actress
- Sterling E. Lanier, American writer (1927–2007)
- Alex Lanier, badminton player
- Willie Lanier, American football player
- Khalia Lanier, American volleyball player

## Similar surnames

Liner, Lamere, Lamar, Lenoir, Lemire, Lehner, Lemaire, Lamarre, Lemmer, Lamarr, Lamour, Lemar.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.