LAWSON
Lawson is a surname of English origin that ultimately derives from the Latin personal name Laurentius. The Latin term denotes “from Laurentum”, a town in Italy celebrated for its laurel trees. Through the medieval Latin form Laurence the name entered the English language, where it was adopted as the given name Lawrence. The patronymic construction Lawson therefore means “son of Lawrence” or “descendant of Lawrence”.
The earliest etymological layer of the name can be traced to the Holy Land, where crusaders returning in the twelfth century introduced the form Lawrence to England and Scotland. In its initial, truncated form Law, it functioned as a nickname of affection and enjoyed considerable popularity during the medieval period. Although its roots are pre‑Christian, the surname became firmly established in the British Isles, particularly in the northern counties.
Historical records indicate a strong northern concentration. Seventeen distinct coats of arms have been documented, all but one belonging to bearers from the north of England. The most significant grant is associated with the Lawson family of Brough Hall, Yorkshire, whose lineage can be traced to the reign of King Richard II and the Wars of the Roses. Their original arms are blazoned as a silver field charged with a black chevron between three black martlets, a design that traditionally suggests a loyal warrior of modest means.
Subsequent generations of the Lawson family expanded their holdings to include estates such as Nesham Abbey in Durham, Longhirst in Cumberland, Boroughbridge Hall, and Cairnmuir in Peebles, Scotland, reflecting an improvement in fortunes over the centuries. Early documentary evidence includes the entry of Henry Laweson in the Yorkshire poll tax rolls of 1379 and the appearance of Richard Lawisson in the Cumberland subsidy rolls of 1327, during the reign of King Edward III.
The surname also migrated beyond the British Isles. One of the first colonists bearing the name, Christopher Lawson, was recorded in Virginia on 23 February 1624 as a resident of James Cittie. Today, Lawson remains a fairly common surname throughout English‑speaking countries, with variant forms such as Lawton and Lawlor also in use.
Typical given names associated with the Lawson surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Peter
- Robert
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- 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 Lawson in...
Braille
⠇⠁⠺⠎⠕⠝
Morse
.-...-.--...----.
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Lawson are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Hobnob.
There are approximately 34,224 people named Lawson in the UK. That makes it the 226th most common surname in Britain. Around 526 in a million people in Britain are named Lawson.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Lawson
- Dame Lesley Lawson - Model, actress, singer
- Denis Lawson - Scottish actor
- Nigella Lawson - Food writer, journalist, and broadcaster
- Nigel Lawson - Conservative politician and journalist
- Leigh Lawson - Actor
- Bernard Lawson - Welsh actor (1927 to 2016)
- Dominic Lawson - Journalist
- Maggie Lawson - American actress
- Charles Lawson - Northern Irish actor
- Mark Lawson - Writer and broadcaster
- Wilfrid Lawson - Actor (1900 to 1966)
- Mary Lawson - Stage and film actress (1910 to 1941)
- Sarah Lawson - Actress
- William Lawson - Australian pastoralist and explorer in New South Wales (1774 to 1850)
- Harry Levy-Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham - Politician (1862 to 1933)
- John K. Lawson - Canadian soldier (1887 to 1941)
- Rory Lawson - Scottish rugby union player
- Geoff Lawson - Automobile designer (1944 to 1999)
- Andrew Lawson - Geologist (1861 to 1952)
- Harry John Lawson - Cyclist and industrialist (1852 to 1)
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.