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

Lawyer, 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 Lawyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lawyer in America

Lawyer is the 8049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lawyer surname appeared 4,112 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lawyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lawyer 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 Lawyer

The surname "LAWYER" is an occupational name that originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "law" meaning "law" and the suffix "-yer" meaning "one who does or is associated with." This indicates that the name was initially given to individuals who worked as lawyers or had some association with the legal profession.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "LAWYER" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John le Lawyere. This suggests that the name was already in use by the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various records across different regions of England. For example, in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1465, there is a reference to a Robert Lawer. Similarly, in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines from 1486, a Thomas Lawer is mentioned.

As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. Some of these variants include Lauer, Lawer, and Lawyor.

One notable individual with the surname "LAWYER" was John Lawyer, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a renowned English explorer and navigator who is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore parts of the Australian coastline.

Another prominent figure was William Lawyer, a Scottish philosopher and mathematician who lived from 1604 to 1677. He made significant contributions to the field of logic and is remembered for his work on syllogisms.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in various parish records and legal documents across England. For instance, the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, mention a Thomas Lawyer who was baptized in 1723.

One notable bearer of the name in the 19th century was Edward Lawyer, an English botanist and naturalist who lived from 1807 to 1884. He is best known for his extensive research on the flora of the British Isles and his contributions to the field of plant taxonomy.

Another individual of note was Mary Lawyer, an American activist and suffragette who lived from 1845 to 1920. She played a significant role in the women's rights movement and campaigned tirelessly for the right of women to vote.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lawyer

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

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

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

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