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

Lawlor, 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 Lawlor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lawlor in America

Lawlor is the 6001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lawlor surname appeared 5,729 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lawlor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lawlor 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 Lawlor

The surname Lawlor is of Irish origin, tracing its roots to the ancient Gaelic territory of Laighis, now known as County Laois in the Irish province of Leinster. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "leath" meaning "half" and "ghabhaltas" meaning "conquest" or "territory."

Lawlor is an Anglicized form of the original Irish Gaelic surname Ó Leathlobhair, which translates to "descendant of Leathlobhar." Leathlobhar was a personal name meaning "half-lame" or "crippled," suggesting a connection to an ancestor with a physical disability.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Lawlor can be found in medieval Irish annals and manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which date back to the 12th century. These records document the activities and exploits of various Lawlor families and individuals throughout Irish history.

One notable figure from the annals is Muircheartach Ó Leathlobhair, who served as the Bishop of Leighlin from 1216 to 1227. Another early example is Gilla na Naemh Ó Leathlobhair, a prominent cleric and scholar who lived in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Lawlor surname was concentrated in County Laois, particularly around the town of Portarlington. During this period, several Lawlor families were among the principal landowners and gentry of the region.

A celebrated individual from this era was Redmund Lawlor, a renowned scholar and linguist who lived from 1570 to 1635. He was proficient in various languages, including Irish, English, Latin, and Greek, and served as a tutor to several prominent Irish families.

Another notable figure was John Lawlor, born in 1592, who was a distinguished soldier and served as a captain in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

In the 18th century, several Lawlor families migrated from County Laois to other parts of Ireland, including Counties Kilkenny and Tipperary. One prominent member of this era was Thomas Lawlor, born in 1733, who was a successful merchant and landowner in County Kilkenny.

The 19th century saw the rise of several accomplished Lawlors, such as William Lawlor, a renowned Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament who lived from 1842 to 1913. He played a significant role in the Irish Home Rule movement and advocated for Irish independence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lawlor

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

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

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

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