Explore the Family Name Lawrence
The meaning of Lawrence
English: from the Middle English and Old French personal name Lorens, Laurence, from Latin Laurentius ‘man from Laurentum’, a place in Italy probably named from its laurels or bay trees. The name was borne by a Christian saint who was martyred at Rome in the 3rd century ad; he enjoyed a considerable cult throughout Europe, with consequent popularity of the personal name (French Laurent, Italian, Spanish Lorenzo, Catalan Llorenç, Portuguese Lourenço, German Laurenz, Polish Wawrzyniec, etc.). In Britain this is a common name from the 12th century, with pet forms such as Law, Low, Lawrie, Laurie, Larry, Larkin, all of which are represented in surnames. There was also a feminine form Laurencia which may have given rise to the English surname. The surname is also borne by Jews among whom it is presumably an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Ashkenazic surnames. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates from other languages, e.g. German Lorenz, and also their patronymics and other derivatives, e.g. Slovenian Lavrenčič and Lovrenčič (patronymics from Lavrencij and Lovrenc, equivalents of Lawrence), Polish Wawrzyniak. Compare Larrance, Laurence, Lawerence, Lieurance, and Lowrance.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lawrence in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lawrence has seen a subtle shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 219th most common surname, with a total count of 124,321 occurrences. However, by 2010, its rank had slightly slipped to 232nd place, even though the actual count increased to 129,699. This indicates a growth of 4.33% in terms of raw numbers, but a decline of -5.94% in relative popularity. Furthermore, the proportion of people bearing this surname per 100,000 decreased by -4.6%, moving from 46.09 to 43.97.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #219 | #232 | -5.94% |
| Count | 124,321 | 129,699 | 4.33% |
| Proportion per 100k | 46.09 | 43.97 | -4.6% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lawrence
Concerning the ethnic identity associated with the surname Lawrence, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals several trends over the decade. Whites made up the majority of bearers of the name, although their proportion declined from 71.93% in 2000 to 68.87% in 2010. The percentage of Blacks with this surname saw a moderate increase of 6.62%, going from 23.12% to 24.65%. The Hispanic community also experienced a substantial growth of 51.52%, albeit from a lower base of 1.65% to 2.50%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races grew by 27.59% and 27.07% respectively, while the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives remained fairly stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.93% | 68.87% | -4.25% |
| Black | 23.12% | 24.65% | 6.62% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.5% | 51.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.81% | 2.3% | 27.07% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.91% | 0.93% | 2.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.74% | 27.59% |
Lawrence 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 Lawrence is British & Irish, which comprises 48.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.4%) and Eastern European (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.6% |
| French & German | 21.4% |
| Eastern European | 4.4% |
| Other | 25.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Lawrence
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 Lawrence have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
What Lawrence 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 Lawrence is R-Z19, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z19 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mitchell, Smith, Brown, Green, Meyers, Johnson, Meyer, Young, Myers, White.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lawrence surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your 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 Lawrence 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.
"Lawrence" Surname 41.0%
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.
"Lawrence" Surname 29.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lawrence" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Lawrence" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lawrence?
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 Lawrence are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition