Layne

Layne is a spelling of Lane, a name drawn from an English surname and the ordinary word for a narrow road or path. Its meaning comes from that connection; the inserted y does not add a separate linguistic element. It can therefore have a place-name feel without referring to one particular town or landscape.

The name also has several musical connections. Layne Staley was the singer of Alice in Chains, and Layne Redmond was a drummer and writer. Those bearers illustrate its use for both boys and girls without turning either use into a rule. Lane is the simplest spelling comparison, while Layne preserves the same compact shape with one additional letter.