Lawrence History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Lawrence

What does the name Lawrence mean?

Lawrence is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that is derived from the name Lawrence. This name is in turn derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which literally means man from Laurentium, a town in Italy named for its laurels or bay trees. The popularity of this name in medieval Europe is due to the exploits of a saint who was martyred at Rome in the 3rd century.

Early Origins of the Lawrence family

The surname Lawrence was first found in Lancashire at Yealand-Redmayne, a township, in the parish of Warton, union of Lancaster, hundred of Lonsdale south of the Sands. "Yealand Hall, an ancient dwelling at Yealand-Storrs in the township, seems to have been possessed in the reign of Henry VIII. by the family of Lawrence, who held the manor of "Yeland-Redmayn" as of the manor of Warton." 1

Early History of the Lawrence family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lawrence research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1252, 1598, 1614, 1618, 1635, 1657, 1664, 1665, 1672, 1674, 1691, 1692 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Lawrence History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawrence Spelling Variations

Lawrence has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Lawrence have been found, including Lawrence, Laurence, Lawerence, Lawrance and many more.

Early Notables of the Lawrence family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir John Lawrence (died 1692), an English merchant and politician, Lord Mayor of the City of London (1664-1665)

Lawrence World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lawrence is the 192^nd most popular surname with an estimated 129,324 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Lawrence is ranked the 262^nd most popular surname with an estimated 15,856 people with that name. 3 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Lawrence is the 256^th popular surname with an estimated 173 people with that name. 4 Australia ranks Lawrence as 152^nd with 19,435 people. 5 New Zealand ranks Lawrence as 123^rd with 3,682 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Lawrence as 130^th with 38,776 people. 7 South Africa ranks Lawrence as 640^th with 10,812 people. 8

Lawrence migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Lawrences to arrive on North American shores:

Lawrence Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Dorothy Lawrence, aged 28, who arrived in Isla de Providencia in 1635 aboard the ship "Expectation" 9
Elizabeth Lawrence, aged 26, who arrived in Isla de Providencia in 1635 aboard the ship "Expectation" 9
John Lawrence, aged 17, from St. Albans, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter", bound for Long Island, NH 9
Maria Lawrence, aged 9, from St. Albans, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter", bound for Long Island, NH 9
Richard Lawrence, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Plain Joan" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrence Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alice Lawrence, who landed in Virginia in 1701 9
Richard Lawrence, who landed in Virginia in 1703 9
Margaret Lawrence, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 9
John Lawrence, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 9
John Lawrence, who arrived in New England in 1713 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrence Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Effingham Lawrence, who landed in New York in 1806 9
Vincent Lawrence, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1807 9
John Lawrence, who arrived in America in 1808 9
Nathaniel Lawrence, who arrived in New York in 1809 9
John Lawrence, aged 23, who landed in Maine in 1812 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrence migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lawrence Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Ann Lawrence, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Eliz Lawrence, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
George Lawrence, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
John Lawrence, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Samuel Lawrence, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrence Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Samuel Lawrence, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1824
George Lawrence, who arrived in Canada in 1832
Mr. John Lawrence, aged 30 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Columbia" departing 1st May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 10

Lawrence migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lawrence Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. John Lawrence, English convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11

Lawrence Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Lawrence, British convict who was convicted in Dorset, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Robert Lawrence, (b. 1775), aged 28, British convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Miss Mary Lawrence, Welsh convict who was convicted in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Miss Mary Lawrence, (Mary Ann, Butt, Davis), English convict who was convicted in Dorset, England for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Lewis Lawrence, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrence migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lawrence Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Lawrence, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl of Lonsdale" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand in 1840 16
Mr. Lawrence, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl of Lonsdale" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand on 11th April 1841 16
Sarah Lawrence, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842
H Lawrence, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1845
Mrs. Caroline Lawrence, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Hamilla Mitchell" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th November 1853 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lawrence Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century

James Lawrence, aged 31, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "S. S. Waimana" in 1926

Lawrence migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17

Lawrence Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Richard Lawrence, (b. 1614), aged 20, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 9
Mr. John Lawrence, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 18
Mr. Blackwell Lawrence, (b. 1619), aged 16, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 19

Contemporary Notables of the name Lawrence (post 1700) +

David Herbert "DH" Lawrence (1885-1930), prolific English author, best known for his novels Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love and Lady Chatterley's Lover
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (b. 1990), American multiple award winning actress, the highest-paid actress in the world in 2015 and 2016, perhaps best known for her roles in X-Men and The Hunger Games movies
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward "T.E." Lawrence CB, DSO (1888-1935), British archaeologist, military officer, diplomat, and writer, also known as Lawrence of Arabia; he was fatally injured in an accident on his Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle in Dorset; he died 6 days later at the age of 46
Odessa Alice Lawrence (1924-2015), née Brake, American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
Florence Lawrence (1886-1938), born Florence Annie Bridgwood, Canadian-born, American stage performer and film actress, often referred to as the "first movie star", known as the "Biograph Girl" for work as one of the leading ladies in silent films from the Biograph Company, she appeared in almost 300 films
Mary Georgene Wells Lawrence (1928-2024), American advertising executive, founding president of Wells, Rich, Greene, an advertising agency known for its creative work
Steve Lawrence (1935-2024), born Sidney Liebowitz, an American singer, comedian, and actor, best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie"
Dexter Lawrence II (b. 1997), American football nose tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League
Richard Hoyt Lawrence (1942-2022), American Republican politician, Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from the Caledonia (2005-2019)
DeMarcus "Tank" Lawrence (b. 1992), American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys
... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Lawrence family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Michael R Lawrence (1949-1985), American Major from Atlanta, Georgia, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 20

Grover Shoe factory

Mr. Walter Lawrence, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; he survived 21

Halifax Explosion

child Lawrence, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 22
Mrs. Mary E. Lawrence (1880-1917), née Lund, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 22

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Wilfred Lawrence, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 23
Mr. Peter Lawrence (b. 1925), English Boy from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 23

HMS Repulse

Mr. Whorton Lawrence, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 24
Mr. J W Lawrence, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 24
Mr. Thomas H Lawrence, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 24
Mr. Harold C D Lawrence, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 24

HMS Royal Oak

Alfred Lawrence, British Chief Steward with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 25
William A. Lawrence, British Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 25
A. Lawrence, British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 25
James Egerton Lawrence (1920-1939), British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 25

RMS Lusitania

Mr. William Lawrence, English Fireman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 26
Miss Ella Woods Lawrence, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 26

RMS Titanic

Mr. Arthur Lawrence (d. 1912), aged 25, English Saloon Steward from Rochford, Essex who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 27

USS Arizona

Mr. Thomas H. Lawrence, American Seaman First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 28

The Lawrence Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Be ready

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 83)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html