LINES
Lines is a surname of predominantly English origin with occasional French influence. It is recognised throughout the British Isles, particularly in England where its early history is well documented.
The name Lines is derived from several possible sources. One hypothesis posits it as a topographic surname for an inhabitant situated near a boundary or demarcation line; this interpretation is rooted in the Middle English word lin meaning boundary or line. An alternative derivation regards the name as a metonymic occupational term for a maker or seller of linen, again stemming from the Old English lin for flax or linen. A third possibility considers it a patronymic formed from the feminine given name Line (a diminutive of names such as Cateline, Adeline, and Emmeline) which itself appears in Anglo‑Norman records.
Variations of the surname include Lynes and Lynas. The earliest known spelling, Lynes, occurs in the Cambridgeshire Assize Rolls of 1340 and is attributed to Reginald Lynes. Subsequent medieval forms such as Linous (1572, Yorkshire), Lynis (1644, same source), and Lynus (1663, same source) illustrate the evolving orthography over time. A notable matrimonial record is that of Arthur Lynas, who married Agnes Telzerson on 3 October 1557 at Stainton, Cleveland, Yorkshire.
In heraldic tradition, the family associated with Tooley Park in Leicester bears a crest featuring a silver shield upon a blue bend, flanked by two rampant lions, a fleur‑de‑lis between two griffin heads erased or. Above the shield is a crest of a lion rampant before a fleur‑de‑lis, and the accompanying motto reads Foi, Roi, Droit, translating into English as Faith, King, Right.
Throughout the centuries, the surname remains largely confined to the British Isles, and its bearers historically identified with the Christian faith. The persistence of this name in parish registers, legal documents, and heraldic records attests to its established presence within English society.
Typical given names associated with the Lines surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- William
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Linda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sally
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Liens
- Lies
- Ligne
- Lignos
- Lin
- Linas
- Lince
- Lincke
- Lincks
- Lincs
- Linde
- Lindes
- Linds
- Line
- Linee
- Linek
- Liness
- Liney
- Linge
- Lingh
- Lings
- Linis
- Linje
- Linke
- Linkes
- Links
- Linn
- Linne
- Linnes
- Linney
- Linnie
- Linns
- Linos
- Lins
- Linse
- Linsey
- Linsh
- Linte
- Lints
- Linus
- Linz
- Lion
- Liones
- Llinas
- Loines
- Loynes
- Lynas
- Lyne
- Lynes
- Lyness
- Lynis
- Lynne
- Lynnes
- Lynns
- Lynos
- Lyns
- Lynus
- Lyon
- Lyons
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Lines in...
Braille
⠇⠊⠝⠑⠎
Morse
.-....-.....
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,964 people named Lines in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,588th most common surname in Britain. Around 92 in a million people in Britain are named Lines.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Lines
- Chris Lines - Football player
- Oliver Lines - Snooker player
- Peter Lines - Snooker player
- Marian Lines - Writer and Librettist (1933 to 2012)
- Maureen Lines - (1937 to 2017)
- Kathleen Lines - Writer (1902 to 1988)
- Samuel Lines - Designer, painter and art teacher (1778 to 1863)
- Frederick Thomas Lines - Artist (1808 to 1898)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.