Classic Books Off The Gcse List But Only...
News0 min ago
surname
Where does the surname 'Lawes' come from?
Answers
1 to 3 of 3
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by seal!. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
There are a couple of possibilities at least...a) 'hlaw' in Old English meant a hill/mound, so the name might have been applied to someone who lived on a hillside in the same way as we have Moore, Woods etc as surnames...b) it might be an abbreviation of Lawrence/Laurence which comes from the Latin for 'man from Laurentum', probably a place where laurel/bay trees were common. In both cases, therefore, it probably relates to geographical factors.
From genealogy.com:
Definition: 1) A diminutive of the given name Laurence, from the Roman cognomen Laurentius, meaning "of Laurentum" - a city in ancient Italy.
2) Possibly derived from the Old English 'hlaw' or 'hyll,' meaning small hill or burial mound; which became "low" in the south, but "law" in the north.
Surname Origin: English
Alternate Surname Spellings: LAW, LAWE, LAWS, LAWES
1 to 3 of 3
