Explore the Family Name Lawless
The meaning of Lawless
Scottish, Irish, and English: nickname from Middle English laweles, laghles ‘lawless, uncontrolled by the law’, applied either to someone who was undisciplined or to an outlaw (i.e. one from whom the protection of the law had been withdrawn).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lawless in the United States?
According to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Lawless" has seen a slight decline over the past decade. The 2000 census ranked it at 3,689, which dropped to 3,903 in 2010, marking a -5.8% change. The actual count of individuals bearing this surname increased marginally from 8,833 in 2000 to 9,093 in 2010, showing an increase of 2.94%. However, when observed as a proportion per 100k population, there was a decrease of -5.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,689 | #3,903 | -5.8% |
| Count | 8,833 | 9,093 | 2.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.27 | 3.08 | -5.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lawless
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Lawless" has also seen shifts between the 2000 and 2010 Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of those with the Lawless surname identify as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 92.52% in 2000 to 91.02% in 2010. The Hispanic ethnicity saw the most significant increase at 52.78%, jumping from 1.44% to 2.20%. Individuals identifying as Black and Asian/Pacific Islander also saw increases of 11.20% and 34.15%, respectively. Those identifying as two or more races or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable with small increases of 4.72% and 19.35%, respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.52% | 91.02% | -1.62% |
| Black | 3.75% | 4.17% | 11.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.44% | 2.2% | 52.78% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 1.33% | 4.72% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.62% | 0.74% | 19.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.55% | 34.15% |
Lawless ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Lawless is British & Irish, which comprises 59.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.4%) and Eastern European (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.3% |
| French & German | 19.4% |
| Eastern European | 4.5% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Lawless
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Lawless have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
What Lawless haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Lawless is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S660 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcgowan, Hughes, Dugan, Sherman, Gibbons, Duggan, Howe, Hopkins, Cameron, Davies.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lawless surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lawless have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lawless" Surname 47.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lawless" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lawless" Surname 21.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lawless" Surname 21.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lawless?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Lawless are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition