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

Laws, 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 Laws surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laws in America

Laws is the 2486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laws surname appeared 14,511 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Laws.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laws 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 Laws

The surname Laws is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "lagu" meaning law. It emerged in the Middle Ages as an occupational name for those involved in the legal profession, such as lawyers, judges, or clerks of the court.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a William Laws is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list a John de la Lawe in Oxfordshire, showcasing the variant spelling common during that era.

The name Laws is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where many early bearers of the surname were found. However, it later spread to other parts of England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Lancashire.

In the 13th century, the Domesday Book records a landowner named Robertus de la Lawe in Lincolnshire, indicating the presence of the name in that region as well. This entry provides valuable insight into the medieval origins of the surname.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Laws include John Laws (c.1632-1688), a prominent English mathematician and theologian who served as a fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge. Another notable bearer was Richard Laws (1728-1784), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Laws was also found in Scotland, where it was associated with places like Lawsknowe in Berwickshire and Lawshill in Lanarkshire, further highlighting the connection between the name and the concept of law or legal matters.

Other notable individuals with the surname Laws include Jonathan Laws (1725-1787), an English clergyman and author, and Samuel Laws (1745-1821), an English philanthropist and abolitionist who worked towards the abolition of the slave trade.

Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Lawes, Lawe, and Laus, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. However, the core meaning of the name remained tied to its legal and occupational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laws

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

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

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

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