Find out how popular the last name Laurence is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Laurence.

Laurence, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Laurence surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laurence in America

Laurence is the 9722nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laurence surname appeared 3,336 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Laurence.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laurence to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Laurence

The surname LAURENCE originated in France and has Norman roots. It is derived from the Latin "laurentius", which means "from Laurentum", an ancient town in Italy. The name is associated with the laurel plant and has connotations of victory and honor.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lorence" and "Lorenz". During the Middle Ages, the name was also spelled as "Laurens", "Lorens", and "Lawrance".

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Laurence, a Norman knight who fought in the Conquest of England in 1066. His descendants settled in various parts of England, where the name took on different spellings.

In the 13th century, the name appears in records from the county of Oxfordshire, where a Walter Laurence is mentioned as a landowner. Around the same time, a Ralph Laurence is recorded as a merchant in the city of London.

During the Renaissance period, the name was associated with several notable individuals, including Sir John Laurence (1556-1618), a Lord Mayor of London, and Henry Laurence (1567-1637), an English theologian and President of St. John's College, Oxford.

In the 18th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Stringer Laurence (1697-1775), an English philosopher and scientist who made significant contributions to the study of electricity.

Other notable individuals with the surname LAURENCE include Jacques Laurence (1794-1865), a French artist known for his portraits and historical paintings, and David Laurence (1888-1966), an Australian cricketer who played Test matches for the national team.

The LAURENCE surname has been found in various parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in France, Germany, and other European countries. It has also been carried by individuals who immigrated to North America, Australia, and other regions of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laurence

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Laurence.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Laurence was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Laurence has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Laurence was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Laurence, please contact us.

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