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

Lawless, 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 Lawless surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lawless in America

Lawless is the 3903rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lawless surname appeared 9,093 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lawless.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lawless 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 Lawless

The surname Lawless originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'laghles', meaning 'outlaw' or 'lawless one'. This suggests that the name may have been initially a descriptive nickname given to someone who lived outside the law or exhibited lawless behavior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lawless surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a William le Laweles is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.

In the 14th century, the Lawless family held lands in Leicestershire, and their name appears in various historical records from that area during this period. A notable example is John Lawless, who is listed in the Feet of Fines for Leicestershire in 1379.

The Lawless name also has a connection to Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers during the Norman invasion in the 12th century. Over time, the name became well-established in various parts of Ireland, particularly in counties such as Kildare and Laois.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lawless name in Ireland can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, which mention a Hugh Lawless who died in 1330. The name also appears in various Irish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Census of Ireland from 1659.

Notable individuals with the Lawless surname include:

1. Thomas Lawless (c.1530-1605), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Dublin from 1574 until his death.
2. Valentine Lawless (1628-1688), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
3. Sir Nicholas Lawless (1639-1703), an Irish soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Galway during the Williamite War.
4. John Lawless (1773-1837), an Irish politician and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.
5. John Lawless (1837-1923), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

While the Lawless surname has its origins in England and Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lawless

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

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

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

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