LAW
Law is a surname of Anglo‑Scottish origin that has been recorded in both England and Scotland for many centuries. The name derives from the Old English word hlaw, meaning a hill, mound or burial ground, and is generally understood to be a topographical or locational designation for a person who lived near such a geographic feature.
The earliest recorded instance of the name appears as John de la Law in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1208, during the reign of King John. Subsequent early examples include William de Lawe of Essex in 1229, William Law of Cambridgeshire in 1279 and Hugh del Lawe of Yorkshire in 1309. In Scotland, the surname is associated with ten or more places bearing the element law, indicating a dual origin that may be both topographic and locational.
Throughout its history the name has appeared in several orthographic variants, notably Lawes and Laws. In the 15th century, Robert de Lawe of Scotland was granted a safe conduct to travel through England on his return from Spain in 1428, while James of Law is recorded in the burgh rolls of Prestwick in 1488.
In the 17th century the name was borne by figures of notable cultural importance. Henry Lawes (1596‑1662) was a distinguished composer and a gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1626, and his brother William Lawes also achieved renown as a musical composer. William was killed fighting for the Royalists at the siege of Chester in 1645.
Following the English Civil War, the surname continued to be prevalent in English‑speaking regions, including the colonies that developed in North America, Australia and New Zealand. Its frequency has remained moderate, with a concentration in the British Isles but a measurable diaspora in former British colonies.
In contemporary times, bearers of the name Law retain a heritage that is linked to the ancient landscape and the legal traditions implicit in the word. The surname serves as a reminder of the ways in which place names were incorporated into personal identification during the medieval period and how those identifications have persisted into the modern era.
Typical given names associated with the Law surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- William
Female
- Angela
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Law in...
Braille
⠇⠁⠺
Morse
.-...-.--
Semaphore
There are approximately 24,171 people named Law in the UK. That makes it the 338th most common surname in Britain. Around 371 in a million people in Britain are named Law.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Law
- Jude Law - Actor
- Denis Law - Scottish football player
- Phyllida Law - Actress
- Natasha Law - Artist
- Thomas Law - Actor
- John Law - Scottish economist (1671 to 1729)
- Nicky Law - Football player
- Chris Law - Scottish politician
- Ally Law - YouTube personality
- John Law - Sociologist
- Richard Law, 1st Baron Coleraine - Conservative politician (1901 to 1980)
- Stephen Law - Philosopher
- Josh Law - Football player
- Don Law - (1902 to 1982)
- Roger Law - Caricaturist
- Nicky Law - Football player and manager
- Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough - Lord Chief Justice of England (1750 to 1818)
- William Law - American Latter Day Saint leader (1809 to 1892)
- Bronte Law - Golfer
- Peter Law - Welsh politician (1948 to 2006)
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.