Given name
Lanel
“one who takes the narrow path”
Lanel is a variant of Lanelle. One American interpretation is “one who takes the narrow path.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Lanel is a variant of Lanelle. One American interpretation is “one who takes the narrow path.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Lanel is a variant of Lanelle. An origin associated with Lanelle is American.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1961. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lanel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 33
- 5 boys · 28 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 8 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 1984. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 8 in 1971. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 147 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Lanel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lanora
“the shining light”
>99% girls
Lynelle
“a man of the lake”
>99% girls
Lainie
“one who takes the narrow path”
>99% girls
Janell
>99% girls
Leanne
“from the meadow” · “the shining light”
>99% girls
Lynnette
“a beautiful maiden; resembling a songbird”
>99% girls
Liesl
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Nicol
“of the victorious people”
>99% girls