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

Law, 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 Law surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Law in America

Law is the 1089th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Law surname appeared 32,122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Law.

We can also compare 2010 data for Law 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 Law

The surname LAW is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hlaw" which means a hill or mound. It was originally a topographic name given to someone who lived near a hill or mound.

The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "de la Lawe" in Oxfordshire. This early spelling indicates that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to a specific place called "Lawe" or a similar variation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LAW can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Richard de la Lawe was mentioned. This suggests that the name was well-established in various regions of England by the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which listed a John atte Lawe. The use of the preposition "atte" in this spelling further reinforces the topographic origin of the name.

During the Middle Ages, the surname LAW was also associated with various place names, such as Law Hill in Warwickshire and Law Hill in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word "hlaw," indicating the presence of hills or mounds in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname LAW include:

1. John Law (1671-1729), a Scottish economist and financial theorist, known for his role in the Mississippi Bubble.
2. William Law (1686-1761), an English theologian and spiritual writer, author of "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life."
3. Edmund Law (1703-1787), an English theologian and philosopher, who served as the Bishop of Carlisle.
4. Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough (1750-1818), a British politician and lawyer who served as Lord Chief Justice of England.
5. Andrew Law (1749-1821), an American military officer who served in the Revolutionary War and later became a politician in Connecticut.

The surname LAW has a rich history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, and its origins can be traced to the topographic features of the areas where it was first adopted. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with various notable individuals across various fields, reflecting its enduring presence in English-speaking societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Law

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

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 Law 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 Law 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 Law was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!