Meaning and Origin of: Lance

Lance is of French and German origin and means "Lancer," and "Spear," respectively.

Boy name origins & meanings

  • French : Lancer
  • German : Spear
  • French : Romantic

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

  • English : from the Germanic personal name Lanzo, originally a short form of various compound names with the first element land ‘land’, ‘territory’ (for example, Lambert), but later used as an independent name. It was introduced to England by the Normans, for whom it was a popular name among the ruling classes, perhaps partly because of association with Old French lance ‘lance’, ‘spear’ (see 2).
  • French : metonymic name for a soldier who carried a lance, or a nickname for a skilled fighter, from Old French lance.

Famous people with this first name