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

Lawry, 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 Lawry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lawry in America

Lawry is the 20871st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lawry surname appeared 1,263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lawry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lawry 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 Lawry

The surname Lawry has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, and "ry" meaning a stream or watercourse. The name initially referred to a person who lived near a meadow with a stream running through it.

Early recordings of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Laweri" and "Lawria". These early spellings suggest that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Robert Lawry, a knight who lived in the late 13th century and held lands in Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records and documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Laury" and "Lawery".

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lawry surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. Notable individuals from this period include William Lawry (1545-1611), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, and John Lawry (1620-1687), a Puritan minister who emigrated to New England and served as the pastor of the First Church in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, the Lawry family had a strong presence in the West Country of England. One notable figure was Sir Robert Lawry (1720-1788), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the High Sheriff of Somerset in 1767. Another prominent individual was Admiral Sir John Lawry (1748-1827), a distinguished naval officer who played a significant role in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, the Lawry name spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as to British colonies and dominions around the world. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Walter Lawry Buller (1838-1906), a prominent New Zealand lawyer, ornithologist, and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of New Zealand's native birds.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Lawry throughout history, illustrating its long-standing presence and significance in various regions and contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lawry

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

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

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

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