NameCensus.

UK surname

Law

An occupational surname referring to someone who enforced or practiced law, or who was a lawmaker.

In the 1881 census there were 10,130 people recorded with the Law surname, ranking it #423 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,440, ranked #325, up from #423 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Rotherham and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Law is 18,526 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.0%.

1881 census count

10,130

Ranked #423

Modern count

18,440

2016, ranked #325

Peak year

2014

18,526 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Law had 10,130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #423 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,440 in 2016, ranked #325.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,930 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Law surname distribution map

The map shows where the Law surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Law surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Law over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 9,551 #269
1861 historical 6 #33,230
1881 historical 10,130 #423
1891 historical 3,802 #1,267
1901 historical 15,930 #320
1997 modern 17,333 #341
1998 modern 17,967 #342
1999 modern 18,080 #342
2000 modern 17,872 #344
2001 modern 17,489 #344
2002 modern 18,044 #337
2003 modern 17,635 #338
2004 modern 17,584 #338
2005 modern 17,380 #334
2006 modern 17,467 #332
2007 modern 17,638 #331
2008 modern 17,745 #331
2009 modern 18,127 #331
2010 modern 18,405 #332
2011 modern 18,166 #332
2012 modern 17,920 #329
2013 modern 18,333 #331
2014 modern 18,526 #328
2015 modern 18,469 #325
2016 modern 18,440 #325

Geography

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Where Laws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, London parishes, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Rotherham, East Cambridgeshire and Uttlesford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
2 Rotherham 001 Rotherham
3 Rotherham 003 Rotherham
4 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
5 Uttlesford 003 Uttlesford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Law

These lists show first names that appear often with the Law surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Law

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Law, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Law surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Law household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Law is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Law is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Law falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Law is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Law, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Law

The surname LAW is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hlaw" which means a hill or mound. It was originally a topographic name given to someone who lived near a hill or mound.

The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "de la Lawe" in Oxfordshire. This early spelling indicates that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to a specific place called "Lawe" or a similar variation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LAW can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Richard de la Lawe was mentioned. This suggests that the name was well-established in various regions of England by the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which listed a John atte Lawe. The use of the preposition "atte" in this spelling further reinforces the topographic origin of the name.

During the Middle Ages, the surname LAW was also associated with various place names, such as Law Hill in Warwickshire and Law Hill in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word "hlaw," indicating the presence of hills or mounds in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname LAW include:

1. John Law (1671-1729), a Scottish economist and financial theorist, known for his role in the Mississippi Bubble. 2. William Law (1686-1761), an English theologian and spiritual writer, author of "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life." 3. Edmund Law (1703-1787), an English theologian and philosopher, who served as the Bishop of Carlisle. 4. Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough (1750-1818), a British politician and lawyer who served as Lord Chief Justice of England. 5. Andrew Law (1749-1821), an American military officer who served in the Revolutionary War and later became a politician in Connecticut.

The surname LAW has a rich history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, and its origins can be traced to the topographic features of the areas where it was first adopted. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with various notable individuals across various fields, reflecting its enduring presence in English-speaking societies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Law families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Law surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 2,461 Laws recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,461 1.57x
Yorkshire 1,973 1.51x
Middlesex 970 0.73x
Lanarkshire 803 1.88x
Staffordshire 664 1.49x
Northamptonshire 479 3.85x
Midlothian 471 2.66x
Aberdeenshire 463 3.78x
Essex 443 1.70x
Surrey 409 0.64x
Kent 362 0.80x
Angus 318 2.60x
Warwickshire 289 0.87x
Fife 237 3.03x
Ayrshire 229 2.32x
Durham 222 0.56x
Renfrewshire 221 2.16x
Cambridgeshire 145 1.73x
Worcestershire 141 0.82x
Leicestershire 137 0.94x
Cumberland 125 1.10x
Cheshire 113 0.39x
Gloucestershire 107 0.41x
Perthshire 94 1.58x
Wiltshire 89 0.76x
West Lothian 88 4.42x
Devon 84 0.31x
Hampshire 79 0.29x
Lincolnshire 76 0.36x
Sussex 73 0.33x
Hertfordshire 72 0.79x
Argyllshire 71 1.93x
Buckinghamshire 62 0.78x
Stirlingshire 62 1.27x
Dunbartonshire 56 1.58x
Shropshire 54 0.47x
East Lothian 46 2.63x
Somerset 46 0.22x
Northumberland 45 0.23x
Derbyshire 43 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 43 0.24x
Kincardineshire 41 2.55x
Bedfordshire 40 0.58x
Dumfriesshire 36 1.23x
Monmouthshire 33 0.35x
Herefordshire 32 0.59x
Roxburghshire 32 1.34x
Berkshire 28 0.28x
Morayshire 25 1.22x
Oxfordshire 22 0.27x
Westmorland 22 0.76x
Carmarthenshire 20 0.36x
Kirkcudbrightshire 18 0.94x
Peeblesshire 16 2.57x
Selkirkshire 16 1.34x
Suffolk 16 0.10x
Norfolk 15 0.07x
Shetland 15 1.11x
Buteshire 14 1.75x
Clackmannanshire 14 1.28x
Huntingdonshire 14 0.53x
Kinross-shire 14 4.19x
Inverness-shire 13 0.33x
Flintshire 11 0.31x
Berwickshire 9 0.56x
Pembrokeshire 9 0.21x
Channel Islands 8 0.20x
Royal Navy 8 0.51x
Banffshire 7 0.26x
Glamorgan 7 0.03x
Cornwall 5 0.03x
Dorset 5 0.06x
Rutland 5 0.52x
Wigtownshire 5 0.28x
Brecknockshire 3 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.04x
Orkney 1 0.07x
Sutherland 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newchurch in Lancashire leads with 328 Laws recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.57x.

Place Total Index
Newchurch 328 25.57x
Govan 215 2.03x
Todmorden Walsden 193 45.94x
Barony 188 1.74x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 172 2.41x
Glasgow 141 1.86x
Spotland 141 8.09x
Birmingham 130 1.17x
St Pancras London 120 1.13x
Dundee 117 2.56x
Aston 110 1.20x
Aberdeen Old Machar 105 4.11x
Castleton 105 6.70x
Stansfield 103 21.37x
Sheffield 101 2.42x
Wolverhampton 99 2.89x
Tipton 98 7.17x
Wuerdle Wardle 98 20.59x
Oldham 97 1.92x
Haslingden 94 14.48x
Lambeth 94 0.82x
West Bromwich 91 3.56x
Islington London 88 0.69x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 86 3.76x
Blatchinworth 83 23.25x
South Leith 83 4.17x
Cleckheaton 79 16.38x
Sedgley 78 4.71x
Accrington 77 5.40x
Blackburn 77 1.85x
Hackney London 77 1.04x
Langfield 76 33.17x
Leeds 74 1.00x
West Ham 72 1.25x
Northampton Priory St 67 8.98x
Bradford 66 2.08x
Northampton St Sepulchre 60 9.49x
Eastwood 59 9.35x
Liverpool 58 0.61x
Salford 58 1.26x
Bethnal Green London 57 0.99x
Kensington London 56 0.76x
Batley 55 4.42x
Northampton St Giles 55 11.62x
Camberwell 54 0.64x
Halifax 54 2.81x
St Marylebone London 54 0.77x
Wardleworth 54 6.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 53 1.99x
Shoreditch London 51 0.89x
Sowerby In Halifax 49 11.44x
West Derby 49 1.07x
Weston Favell 46 184.59x
Avondale 45 18.01x
Manchester 45 0.64x
Nether Hallam 45 2.54x
Walsall Foreign 44 1.91x
Bothwell 43 3.71x
Knapdale South 43 34.02x
Northampton All Sts 43 10.19x
Paddington London 43 0.88x
Dudley 40 1.91x
Leicester St Margaret 40 1.12x
Mile End Old Town London 40 1.42x
Brampton Bierlow 39 23.26x
Brightside Bierlow 39 1.52x
Kilbirnie 39 16.42x
Ashford 38 8.65x
Montrose 38 5.12x
St George Hanover Square 37 1.59x
Rotherham 36 4.88x
Rowley Regis 35 2.82x
Bury 34 1.90x
Darlington 34 2.24x
Dewsbury 34 2.53x
Everton 33 0.66x
Padiham 33 8.71x
St Luke London 33 1.56x
Warley 33 8.72x
Boness 32 11.66x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Law surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 686
Sarah 406
Elizabeth 387
Jane 201
Ann 197
Alice 191
Eliza 156
Emma 155
Annie 136
Ellen 136
Hannah 136
Emily 122
Margaret 104
Martha 90
Harriet 66
Louisa 66
Florence 63
Ada 59
Fanny 58
Edith 57
Clara 54
Charlotte 48
Betty 47
Frances 47
Agnes 44
Lucy 44
Maria 44
Kate 41
Caroline 40
Isabella 40
Catherine 39
Susan 39
Harriett 37
Betsy 31
Rebecca 28
Rose 28
Esther 27
Lydia 26
Anne 25
Susannah 23
Amelia 22
Julia 21
Sophia 21
Eleanor 20
Helen 20
Selina 20
Gertrude 19
Grace 18
Amy 17
Jessie 16

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Law surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 606
William 551
James 405
George 296
Thomas 286
Joseph 180
Charles 165
Henry 162
Robert 160
Alfred 128
Samuel 125
Arthur 97
Edward 97
Richard 82
Frederick 81
Albert 64
Frank 59
Harry 57
David 55
Walter 55
Benjamin 53
Herbert 40
Fred 39
Ernest 35
Wm. 33
Edmund 31
Francis 29
Abraham 22
Leonard 20
Alexander 18
Edwin 18
Geo. 18
Thos. 17
Isaac 16
Christopher 15
Peter 14
Andrew 13
Sam 13
Jesse 11
Mark 11
Percy 10
Stephen 10
Tom 10
Amos 9
Philip 9
Edgar 8
Jabez 8
Sidney 8
Willm. 8
Matthew 7

FAQ

Law surname: questions and answers

How common was the Law surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,130 people were recorded with the Law surname. That placed it at #423 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Law surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,440 in 2016. That gives Law a modern rank of #325.

What does the Law surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who enforced or practiced law, or who was a lawmaker.

What does the Law map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Law bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.