NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawes

Derived from an old English word meaning "hill or forest clearing".

In the 1881 census there were 1,302 people recorded with the Lawes surname, ranking it #3,144 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,081, ranked #3,107, up from #3,144 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, London parishes and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Aylesbury Vale, County Durham and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawes is 2,164 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.8%.

1881 census count

1,302

Ranked #3,144

Modern count

2,081

2016, ranked #3,107

Peak year

2014

2,164 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawes had 1,302 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,144 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,081 in 2016, ranked #3,107.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,984 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lawes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawes 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 695 #3,753
1861 historical 884 #3,139
1881 historical 1,302 #3,144
1891 historical 1,349 #3,225
1901 historical 1,732 #2,992
1911 historical 1,984 #2,502
1997 modern 2,060 #2,986
1998 modern 2,114 #3,023
1999 modern 2,141 #3,013
2000 modern 2,084 #3,066
2001 modern 2,056 #3,038
2002 modern 2,126 #3,012
2003 modern 2,108 #2,968
2004 modern 2,088 #3,006
2005 modern 2,033 #3,036
2006 modern 2,025 #3,053
2007 modern 2,052 #3,049
2008 modern 2,051 #3,083
2009 modern 2,100 #3,077
2010 modern 2,098 #3,150
2011 modern 2,094 #3,114
2012 modern 2,094 #3,053
2013 modern 2,144 #3,043
2014 modern 2,164 #3,035
2015 modern 2,119 #3,070
2016 modern 2,081 #3,107

Geography

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Where Lawes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, London parishes and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Aylesbury Vale, County Durham, Chichester, Sedgemoor and Breckland. 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 Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Aylesbury Vale 005 Aylesbury Vale
2 County Durham 008 County Durham
3 Chichester 001 Chichester
4 Sedgemoor 001 Sedgemoor
5 Breckland 009 Breckland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lawes, 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 Lawes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lawes 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, Lawes 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

Lawes is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lawes falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lawes 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 Lawes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lawes

The surname Lawes originated in England, deriving from the Old English word "lagu," meaning "law." It was likely an occupational name for someone who worked in legal or administrative roles. The name is thought to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it appears as "Willelmus le Lawe." The spelling variations included Lawe, Law, Lawes, and Laws. These early spellings reflect the name's connection to the concept of law or its association with a specific place name.

The Lawes surname is also found in various historical records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Matilda Lawe." This indicates the name's presence in different regions of England during the medieval period.

Notable individuals with the surname Lawes include Henry Lawes (1596-1662), an English musician and composer who served as a court musician for Charles I. His brother, William Lawes (1602-1645), was also a renowned composer and musician during the same period.

Another prominent figure was John Bennet Lawes (1814-1900), an English entrepreneur and agriculturist who pioneered the development of artificial fertilizers and established the Rothamsted Experimental Station, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world.

In the literary realm, Lewis Evan Lawes (1832-1919) was a British writer and journalist who authored several works, including "The History of Little England Beyond Wales" and "The Census of the British Empire."

The Lawes surname can also be associated with various place names in England, such as Lawes Hill in Buckinghamshire and Lawes Farm in Norfolk, suggesting potential geographical connections for some bearers of the name.

While the surname Lawes is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, reflecting its origins as an occupational name related to law and administration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawes 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. Hampshire leads with 285 Lawes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.92x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 285 10.92x
Wiltshire 205 18.21x
Middlesex 159 1.25x
Norfolk 114 5.82x
Surrey 83 1.34x
Durham 50 1.32x
Kent 43 0.99x
Suffolk 43 2.77x
Berkshire 39 4.08x
Gloucestershire 36 1.44x
Yorkshire 36 0.29x
Warwickshire 26 0.81x
Northumberland 20 1.06x
Cambridgeshire 18 2.23x
Dorset 17 2.03x
Glamorgan 16 0.72x
Essex 14 0.56x
Lancashire 13 0.09x
Lincolnshire 10 0.49x
Somerset 10 0.49x
Sussex 10 0.47x
Cornwall 9 0.62x
Staffordshire 8 0.19x
Devon 6 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.65x
Royal Navy 5 3.30x
Cumberland 4 0.37x
Lanarkshire 4 0.10x
Cheshire 3 0.11x
Herefordshire 3 0.57x
Hertfordshire 3 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.17x
Renfrewshire 2 0.20x
Oxfordshire 1 0.13x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Westmorland 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Basingstoke in Hampshire leads with 30 Lawes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.97x.

Place Total Index
Basingstoke 30 99.97x
Birmingham 25 2.34x
St Pancras London 24 2.34x
Hoxne 22 500.00x
Westoe 20 9.32x
St Marylebone London 19 2.80x
Chatteris 18 87.51x
Coombe Bissett 18 1139.24x
Reading St Giles 18 19.20x
Camberwell 17 2.09x
Lambeth 17 1.53x
Felthorpe 16 788.18x
Islington London 16 1.30x
Tivetshall St Mary 16 1333.33x
Andover 15 60.85x
Upham 15 524.48x
Donhead St Andrew 14 404.62x
Donhead St Mary 14 244.76x
Mile End Old Town London 13 4.80x
Portsea 13 2.54x
St George Hanover Square 13 5.80x
Deptford St Paul 12 3.58x
Homington 12 1538.46x
Tilshead 12 576.92x
Aldershot 11 12.58x
Romsey Extra 11 70.88x
Ryde 11 19.63x
Thruxton 11 785.71x
West Lavington 11 203.70x
West Overton 11 374.15x
Chelsea London 10 2.61x
Chippenham 10 42.35x
Bristol St George 9 7.79x
Fisherton Anger 9 43.19x
Plumstead 9 6.22x
Acton 8 10.72x
Droxford 8 80.32x
Fareham 8 25.51x
Gelligaer 8 15.80x
Herriard 8 451.98x
Hinton Martel 8 481.93x
Holbeck 8 9.57x
Horstead With Stanninghall 8 325.20x
Llangynwyd Higher 8 75.12x
Martin 8 357.14x
Newington 8 1.70x
Paddington London 8 1.71x
Southampton St Michael 8 93.13x
Syderstone 8 355.56x
Wylye 8 373.83x
Egham 7 18.38x
Feock 7 77.61x
Great Yarmouth 7 4.32x
Kingston Bagpuize 7 636.36x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 7 58.82x
Prudhoe Castle 7 190.22x
Ringwood 7 41.94x
Semley 7 234.11x
South Cerney 7 170.32x
Southampton St Mary 7 4.27x
Southcoates 7 10.00x
Whitchurch 7 84.54x
Alburgh 6 222.22x
Booton 6 681.82x
Burgh Castle 6 263.16x
Dickleburgh 6 166.21x
Downton 6 40.73x
Fisherton De La Mere 6 465.12x
Holdenhurst 6 8.77x
Lyncombe Widcombe 6 11.18x
Market Lavington 6 98.52x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 8.12x
Newport 6 42.40x
Shalfleet 6 119.28x
Westminster St James 6 4.58x
Alverstoke 5 5.29x
Croydon 5 1.45x
Greenwich 5 2.47x
Leeds 5 0.70x
Millbrook 5 7.61x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 87
John 54
George 45
Thomas 39
James 32
Henry 30
Charles 26
Harry 19
Joseph 19
Robert 19
Edward 17
Alfred 16
Arthur 16
Stephen 13
Albert 12
Walter 12
Frederick 9
Ernest 8
Frank 7
Herbert 7
Francis 6
Samuel 6
Benjamin 5
Edwin 5
Sidney 5
David 4
Luke 4
Christopher 3
Edgar 3
Fred 3
Frederic 3
Henery 3
Matthew 3
Tom 3
Aurthur 2
Daniel 2
Edmund 2
Frances 2
Fred. 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Gilbert 2
Hugh 2
Jacob 2
Jesse 2
Lewis 2
Noah 2
Richard 2
Saml. 2
Wightman 2

FAQ

Lawes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,302 people were recorded with the Lawes surname. That placed it at #3,144 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,081 in 2016. That gives Lawes a modern rank of #3,107.

What does the Lawes surname mean?

Derived from an old English word meaning "hill or forest clearing".

What does the Lawes map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Lawes 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.