NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawman

An occupational surname referring to a law enforcement officer or police officer.

In the 1881 census there were 293 people recorded with the Lawman surname, ranking it #9,884 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 595, ranked #8,776, up from #9,884 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edmonton, London parishes and Kirton-in-Lindsey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawman is 677 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.1%.

1881 census count

293

Ranked #9,884

Modern count

595

2016, ranked #8,776

Peak year

1998

677 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawman had 293 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,884 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 595 in 2016, ranked #8,776.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 471 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lawman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawman 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 205 #10,223
1861 historical 299 #8,460
1881 historical 293 #9,884
1891 historical 339 #10,089
1901 historical 395 #9,562
1911 historical 471 #8,201
1997 modern 639 #7,763
1998 modern 677 #7,673
1999 modern 650 #7,942
2000 modern 638 #8,047
2001 modern 619 #8,092
2002 modern 605 #8,415
2003 modern 608 #8,244
2004 modern 606 #8,286
2005 modern 576 #8,512
2006 modern 565 #8,657
2007 modern 575 #8,629
2008 modern 579 #8,636
2009 modern 585 #8,747
2010 modern 597 #8,814
2011 modern 583 #8,880
2012 modern 593 #8,688
2013 modern 606 #8,678
2014 modern 607 #8,721
2015 modern 604 #8,692
2016 modern 595 #8,776

Geography

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Where Lawmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edmonton, London parishes, Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lambeth and Newport Pagnell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire and Allerdale. 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 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kirton-in-Lindsey Lincolnshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Northamptonshire 010 East Northamptonshire
2 Huntingdonshire 004 Huntingdonshire
3 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
4 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
5 East Northamptonshire 009 East Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawman

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lawman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lawman is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lawman falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lawman

The surname Lawman has its roots in medieval England, originating from the Old English words "lagu" meaning law and "man" meaning man. It was likely first used as a descriptive name for someone who enforced laws or carried out legal duties, such as a constable or bailiff.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Laguman is listed as a landowner in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was in use during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, several variations of the name appear in historical records, including Laweman, Lagheman, and Lawman. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and variations in spelling practices.

One notable Lawman from history was Sir John Lawman, a 14th-century English knight and landowner who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born around 1320 and died in 1379.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Thomas Lawman, a 16th-century English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1556 during the Marian Persecutions for his religious beliefs.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and court documents, indicating its continued use throughout England. For example, a William Lawman is recorded as a landowner in Suffolk in 1642.

During the 18th century, the Lawman surname began to spread beyond England, with some individuals bearing the name emigrating to the American colonies and other parts of the British Empire.

One notable American Lawman was John Lawman, a Revolutionary War soldier from Massachusetts who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. He was born in 1745 and died in 1820.

As the name Lawman spread, it also evolved into different spellings and variations, such as Lowman and Loman, reflecting regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

Throughout its history, the Lawman surname has been associated with individuals involved in law enforcement, legal professions, and upholding societal order, reflecting its etymological roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawman 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. Hertfordshire leads with 49 Lawmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.79x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 49 24.79x
Surrey 40 2.86x
Middlesex 33 1.15x
Northamptonshire 30 11.12x
Bedfordshire 27 18.18x
Nottinghamshire 20 5.17x
Lincolnshire 19 4.14x
Huntingdonshire 18 31.61x
Sussex 13 2.69x
Buckinghamshire 10 5.77x
Cumberland 10 4.05x
Yorkshire 9 0.32x
Lanarkshire 8 0.86x
Suffolk 3 0.86x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.55x
Derbyshire 1 0.22x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Kent 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edmonton in Middlesex leads with 18 Lawmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.89x.

Place Total Index
Edmonton 18 77.89x
Molesworth 17 8095.24x
Kirton In Lindsey 16 879.12x
Battersea 13 12.32x
Radford 13 66.19x
Essendon 11 1833.33x
Harlington 11 2075.47x
Newport Pagnell 10 275.48x
Low Bolton 9 1428.57x
Dalziel 8 80.16x
Doncaster 8 38.54x
Kislingbury 8 1176.47x
Northampton St Giles 8 77.82x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 58.31x
Rushden 8 2962.96x
Tilbrook 8 2105.26x
Weston 8 842.11x
Clarborough 7 242.21x
Newington 7 6.61x
Acton 6 35.69x
Hitchin 6 67.26x
Ickleford 6 1090.91x
Lambeth 6 2.40x
Broadwater 5 45.09x
Camberwell 4 2.18x
Duston 4 163.27x
Horsham 4 42.60x
Hove 4 18.85x
Keysoe 4 571.43x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 6.93x
Ashwell 3 193.55x
Chelsea London 3 3.47x
Gorleston 3 33.82x
Holwell 3 1428.57x
Laughton In Gainsborough 3 1034.48x
Sandon 3 400.00x
Streatham 3 14.10x
Islington London 2 0.72x
Little Berkhampstead 2 476.19x
Stevenage 2 65.36x
Chatham 1 3.71x
Clapham 1 2.79x
Cranleigh 1 49.02x
Eynesbury 1 75.76x
Foston 1 2500.00x
Hampstead London 1 2.24x
Kettering 1 9.17x
Pentrich 1 39.53x
Rothersthorpe 1 416.67x
South Mimms 1 25.45x
St Cuthbert W O 1 8.31x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.98x
St Pancras London 1 0.43x
Stainland Cum Old 1 20.58x
Stretham 1 76.92x
Toddington 1 46.95x
Wandsworth 1 3.62x
Winchfield 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 22
John 20
William 20
Thomas 16
James 9
Charles 6
Robert 5
Samuel 4
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Benjamin 1
Claude 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Leonard 1
Saml. 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Watson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lawman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 293 people were recorded with the Lawman surname. That placed it at #9,884 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 595 in 2016. That gives Lawman a modern rank of #8,776.

What does the Lawman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a law enforcement officer or police officer.

What does the Lawman map show?

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