2000
#5,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,463
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Lawlor
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Leathlobhair," meaning "descendant of Leathlobhar" (one with a half-leper or partly crippled appearance).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,276 Americans carry the last name Lawlor. That puts it at #6,034 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,614 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lawlor surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lawlor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,614
Census rank
#6,034
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,473 bearers of the surname Lawlor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6034th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawlor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lawlor
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawlor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lawlor bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lawlor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 5,062
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 202
- Two or more races2.5% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 48
- Black or African American0.3% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lawlor
Lawlor appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,729
+266 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 203 places
2020
#6,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,473
-256 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,798 | 5,463 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,001 | 5,729 | 1.94 | +266 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 203 places |
| 2020 | #6,034 | 5,473 | 1.83 | -256 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 33 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lawlor surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,001 | #6,034 | -0.5% |
| Count | 5,729 | 5,473 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 1.83 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lawlor bearers went from 5,729 to 5,473 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,001 to #6,034.
FAQ
Lawlor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lawlor?
Name Census estimates that about 6,276 living Americans carry the surname Lawlor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,614 residents.
How common is Lawlor?
Lawlor ranks #6,034 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,473 people with the surname Lawlor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,276), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lawlor.
Has Lawlor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lawlor went from 5,729 recorded bearers to 5,473. That is a decrease of 256 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,001 to #6,034.
What does the Census say about the background of Lawlor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawlor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lawlor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (5,062 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lawlor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lawlor (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lawlor mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Leathlobhair," meaning "descendant of Leathlobhar" (one with a half-leper or partly crippled appearance). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lawlor (1.83 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Lawlor?
You can see how many people have the surname Lawlor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.