Fane is an English surname of Welsh origins that belongs to a family who have produced a number of notable members. The family originated with Ivon Vane, who was a Welsh landowner and mercenary captain in the service of the Black Prince. Ivon Vane or John Fane, as he was known in English, was one of three captains who captured King John II of France at the battle of Poitiers 1356. He was knighted and shared in the ransom monies, which made him very wealthy. He settled in Kent and founded the two notable families of Fane, whose members became the Earls of Westmoreland, and Vane, who became the Earls of Darlington. Both families have golden gauntlets on their crest in memory of the surrender of King John.