The Dane Family

Background

The 1891 census of England and Wales shows the distribution of the surname Dane was fairly widespread across a number of counties at that time. The greatest concentration of the name is in Lancashire, Kent and London.

The surname is believed to originate from either 1) a topographic name from the Middle English dene ‘valley’ (Old English denu) or 2) an occupational name for the servant of a dean or 3) a nickname for someone who was thought to resemble a dean.

Branches of interest

The branch of interest appears to have originated in Kent and spread into the capital around the Paddington area during the early part of the 1800s. Its origins are around the villages of Harrietsham and Hollingbourne, near Maidstone.

Notable people

George Alfred Dane - Lost in the Second World War