Lawson Surname

2,325th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 235,809 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Scotland

Lawson Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Laurence' or 'Lawrence,' from the nick. Law; v. Law (a).

Willelmus Lauson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Law Robynson, 1379: ibid.

Henricus Laweson, 1379: ibid.

Read More About This Surname

Lawson Surname Distribution Map

By incidenceBy frequencyBy rank
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States146,5251:2,474245
England26,4441:2,107254
Australia14,6441:1,843233
Canada9,1491:4,027539
Nigeria8,7591:20,2241,842
Scotland5,5571:963148
Sierra Leone5,2541:1,349251
Benin3,1051:3,329408
Jamaica2,9211:983179
New Zealand2,5521:1,774228
France1,7031:39,0034,855
South Africa1,5861:34,1604,366
Wales7261:4,262463
Liberia4601:9,5841,072
Togo3971:18,2566,333
Northern Ireland3961:4,659900
Ireland3321:14,1841,644
Ghana2941:91,9079,186
Hong Kong2531:28,994518
Panama2471:15,8391,166
Vanuatu2361:1,116281
Ivory Coast2111:109,3425,553
Saudi Arabia1991:155,05422,057
Germany1911:421,49538,230
Cameroon1851:112,26513,040
Thailand1721:410,68872,080
Spain1701:275,01217,060
Belgium1631:70,53211,263
Burkina Faso1351:135,9413,663
United Arab Emirates1331:68,8896,446
Costa Rica1261:37,937986
Guyana1241:6,1471,056
Dominican Republic1231:84,8213,815
Philippines1161:872,74380,276
Brazil1151:1,861,51659,915
Portugal1041:100,1754,850
Netherlands1001:168,87224,561
Singapore981:56,2012,231
Argentina901:474,92735,376
Bahrain881:15,3253,085
Trinidad and Tobago871:15,6781,971
Japan841:1,521,95624,539
Kenya811:570,12227,144
Papua New Guinea781:104,53514,121
Senegal761:191,8331,383
Sweden681:144,80510,193
India661:11,622,203212,115
Switzerland661:124,43812,477
Israel601:142,62715,171
Malaysia441:670,32331,889
Niger421:456,95312,306
Isle of Man391:2,201425
Zimbabwe371:417,25037,018
Denmark361:156,79813,614
Russia361:4,003,418194,829
Chile341:518,13213,148
Cayman Islands331:1,936255
Jersey321:3,100566
China301:45,577,3862,472
Kuwait291:131,05814,967
Norway281:183,65321,594
Indonesia231:5,749,965259,967
Gabon221:85,8722,371
Guernsey221:2,929767
Solomon Islands221:26,3655,164
Italy211:2,912,22398,106
Suriname191:29,0855,642
Afghanistan171:1,891,36413,978
Austria171:500,90847,931
Barbados161:17,9661,009
Iraq161:2,188,85319,343
Qatar161:147,37516,023
Cyprus151:58,9925,768
Estonia151:88,12015,474
Tanzania151:3,529,44150,903
Guinea141:845,2731,273
Mexico141:8,866,15837,743
Colombia131:3,674,92915,922
Antigua and Barbuda121:8,264893
Czechia121:886,12273,425
Finland121:458,05828,977
Congo111:453,55410,703
Egypt91:10,215,08448,153
Equatorial Guinea91:126,186322
Ethiopia91:10,838,47414,518
Fiji91:99,3771,883
Hungary91:1,090,69749,203
South Korea81:6,405,0321,091
United States Virgin Islands81:13,7971,930
Gibraltar61:5,659991
Vietnam61:15,441,0093,090
Bahamas51:78,350887
Iceland51:76,0184,442
Mali51:3,393,8072,429
Poland51:7,601,750167,855
Taiwan51:4,688,94927,695
Dominica41:18,973529
Malta41:107,5681,849
Tunisia41:152,65617,743
DR Congo31:24,626,523260,455
Ecuador31:5,301,94930,184
Greece31:3,693,263126,191
Lebanon31:1,879,02822,073
Namibia31:803,13415,170
Sudan31:12,503,39814,123
Uganda31:13,013,093160,157
Ukraine31:15,174,232372,501
Bulgaria21:3,489,45264,958
Georgia21:1,872,77235,618
Guatemala21:8,041,3349,698
Macau21:300,8151,009
Malawi21:8,559,55434,093
Moldova21:1,780,68455,103
Mongolia21:1,412,64416,950
Oman21:1,843,9869,590
Romania21:10,038,93580,612
Saint Lucia21:89,3902,918
Uruguay21:1,715,87935,955
Venezuela21:15,102,03869,873
Albania11:2,914,05529,474
Anguilla11:13,436792
Bangladesh11:159,356,77326,077
Belarus11:9,501,059159,228
Belize11:355,4743,977
Bermuda11:65,2793,010
Botswana11:2,186,92930,250
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
Croatia11:4,228,60499,289
East Timor11:1,215,928507
Falkland Islands11:3,132317
French Polynesia11:280,8057,211
Guam11:160,1214,893
Honduras11:8,816,4429,272
Iran11:76,782,524277,718
Kosovo11:1,861,86914,990
Kyrgyzstan11:5,972,65499,197
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
North Macedonia11:2,101,47231,546
Marshall Islands11:51,8212,326
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Micronesia11:106,2431,380
Mozambique11:27,261,5697,432
Myanmar11:51,937,9852,166
Nepal11:28,480,95622,413
New Caledonia11:276,22310,363
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Peru11:31,784,12364,452
Puerto Rico11:3,550,1399,109
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Saint Barthelemy11:9,614134
Saint Kitts and Nevis11:55,1991,294
Slovenia11:2,487,67531,128
Sri Lanka11:20,808,56018,521
Tonga11:107,313791
Turkey11:77,821,422191,047
Turks and Caicos Islands11:34,329862
Yemen11:26,425,29455,147
Show All Nations
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland4901:9,0411,338
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England12,1121:2,012280
Scotland5,4061:692111
Isle of Man961:565101
Wales731:21,4851,237
Jersey141:3,706624
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States20,6301:2,434255

Lawson (23,859) may also be a first name.

Lawson Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Laurence' or 'Lawrence,' from the nick. Law; v. Law (a).

Willelmus Lauson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Law Robynson, 1379: ibid.

Henricus Laweson, 1379: ibid.

Agnes Law-wyf, 1379: ibid.

1554. James Castelys and Elizabeth Lawson: Marriage Lic. (London).

1576. William Lauson, Lancashire: Register of the University of Oxford.

1664. Baptised — Jone, d. Randall Lawson: St. James, Clerkenwell.

— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

'Son of Lawrence,' which see, through the diminutive 'Law.' Richard Laurence of Byker (i.e. Biggar) of Lanarkshire rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 213). Richard Lawson was canon of St. Giles', Edinburgh, and laird of Grothill, 1370. John Lawson de Lyntoun was tenant under Douglas in Linton, 1376 (RUM., I, p. lii; II, p. 16). Ady Lawsoun was a forestaller in Aberdeen, 1402 (CRA., p. 384), John Lauson held a land there, 1436 (REA., I, p. 234), and the house of another John Lawsone in Leyth is referred to, 1462 (Soltre, p. 65). Richard Lawson was town clerk of Edinburgh, 1482, clerk of justiciary, 1490, and clerk to the ambassadors of James, king of Scots, 1495 (Bain, IV, 1484, 1564, 1612). He may be the Richard Lausoun of Edinburgh who gave his bond of manrent in 1508 (SCM., II, p. 278). Richard Lawson, laird of Hariggs (where George Heriot's Hospital in Edinburgh now stands) was appointed Lord Justice Clerk c. 1488. His wife s name is commemorated in "Lady Lawson's Wynd" near by. Alexander Lawson (1773—1846), born in Lanarkshire, died in Philadelphia, engraved the best plates in Alexander Wilson's Ornithology chiefly "for the honor of his old country," and for a financial return not exceeding one dollar a day. The name was early carried to France, and is said to appear there at the present day as De Lauzun. It became Loson in Posen, 1593. Lason 1599, Lasone 1661, Lasoun 1640 Lausone 1540, Laweson 1480, Lawsoune 1607, Losone 1544, Losoun 1532.

— The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

Law’s Son: v. Law (Anglo-French-Latin), Laurence.

Henricus Laweson.—Yorks Poll-Tax, A.D. 1379.

This name was Latinized Laurentii fllius.

— Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

“Son of Lawrence” (q.v.).

— South African Surnames (1965) by Eric Rosenthal

(English) The son of Law, a pet form of Lawrence (laurel, symbol of victory).

— Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

The son of Lawrence. According to Burke's Ext. Barouets, the patriarch of the family was John Lawson, who temp. Henry II. was lord of Fawlesgrave, co. York. From him the existing baronet is lineally descended.

— Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

The son of Law or Lawrence.

— The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

The son of Law, the familiar abbreviation of Lawrence.

— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

Walter Loison, Normandy 1180-95 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae).

— The Norman People (1874)

The Lawsons of Nesham Abbey in this county trace their pedigree four centuries back (S.); but the name is also established in the other northern counties.

— Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

User-submitted Reference

The Lawson surname means 'son of Lawrence'.

- dinn315
DNA test information
Display Statistics on:

Lawson Demographics

Lawson Political Affiliation
in United States

Sample size: 31,853 (2014)

United States
Average

View the most partisan surnames in The United States

Lawson Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Lawson Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Lawson (Arabic: آوسن, Marathi: लाँसन) is more frequently found in The United States than any other country/territory. It can also occur in the variant forms:. Click here to see other possible spellings of this surname.

How Common Is The Last Name Lawson? popularity and diffusion

It is the 2,325th most prevalent last name on a worldwide basis, held by around 1 in 30,904 people. This surname is primarily found in The Americas, where 68 percent of Lawson are found; 66 percent are found in North America and 66 percent are found in Anglo-North America. Lawson is also the 33,183rd most numerous forename in the world It is held by 23,859 people.

The surname Lawson is most common in The United States, where it is borne by 146,525 people, or 1 in 2,474. In The United States it is primarily concentrated in: Texas, where 7 percent live, California, where 7 percent live and Tennessee, where 6 percent live. Not including The United States this surname is found in 156 countries. It also occurs in England, where 11 percent live and Australia, where 6 percent live.

Lawson Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of Lawson has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Lawson last name grew 710 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 218 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 103 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 995 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it declined 32 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Lawson Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those holding the Lawson last name is primarily Presbyterian (48%) in Ireland and Sunni (50%) in Lebanon.

In The United States Lawson are 15.39% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 62.16% being registered with the party.

The amount Lawson earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 20.1% more than the national average, earning 415,656 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 86.63% more than the national average, earning R 443,508 per year; in Colombia they earn 20.77% less than the national average, earning $17,987,900 COP per year; in United States they earn 7.38% less than the national average, earning $39,966 USD per year and in Canada they earn 5.14% more than the national average, earning $52,237 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ASimilarity (high to low)Similarity (low to high)Prevalent jurisdiction A-ZPrevalent jurisdiction Z-A
SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Llawson9212/
Lawsson928/
Lawwson923/
Lawsone923/
Lhawson922/
Lavwson922/
Lawsoon921/
Lawsonn921/
Lawsong921/
Laawson921/
Lawsomn921/
Lawsion921/
Laswson921/
Leawson921/
Lawshon920/
Lauwson920/
D'Lawson864/
Lawsonne862/
Labson832,061/
Lowson831,501/
Lawsen83115/
Lawsom8331/
Lawsan8316/
Lawzon838/
Lavson838/
Lafson830/
Lawsonová803/
Lafsson77183/
Laibson77114/
Louwson7722/
Lawsane775/
Labsson775/
Lowsson773/
Liabson771/
Layfson771/
Lowsong771/
Lawssen770/
Leavson770/
Laffson770/
Laivson770/
Leafsong712/
Laifeson711/
Lhawsang711/
Liawsung711/
Lavsione710/
Labsan671,385/
Lavsen6767/
Lobson6767/
Lowsen6713/
Lawxan675/
Lavsan672/
Lavzon672/
Lowsan671/
Lawcen671/
Lafsen671/
Lowsom671/
Lavsun671/
Labsen671/
Lawsum670/
Lofson670/
Lafsan670/
Lawzen670/
Lovson670/
Show All Similar Surnames

Lawson Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Lawson in the Marathi language
लाँसनlamsana-
Lawson in the Arabic language
آوسنawsn-
لوسونlwswn-
لاوسنlawsn-
اوسنawsn-
لوسنlwsn-
اوسونawswn-
وسنwsn-

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Lawson Reference & Research

Lawson FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Lawson FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Lawson
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis