Lawliss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The surname Lawliss is derived from the Old English word "laweles," which means "lawless" and is ultimately derived from the Old English word "laghles," which means "outlaw." As a surname, Lawliss came from a nickname for a person who was an outlaw, or was uncontrolled or unrestrained. The Gaelic form of the surname Lawliss is Laighléis.

Early Origins of the Lawliss family

The surname Lawliss was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Lawliss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lawliss research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1564, 1599, 1610, 1616, 1618, 1621, 1626, 1634, 1641, 1657, 1670, 1675, 1693, 1735, 1789 and 1799 are included under the topic Early Lawliss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawliss Spelling Variations

During the lifetime of an individual person, his name was often spelt by church officials and medieval scribes the way it sounded. An examination of the many different origins of each name has revealed many spelling variations for the name: Lawless, Lovelace, Lovelass, Loveless and others.

Early Notables of the Lawliss family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Richard Lovelace, 1st Baron Lovelace (1564-1634), of Hurley in the County of Berkshire, English MP and peer, High Sheriff of Berkshire (1610) and High Sheriff of Oxfordshire (1626); John Lovelace, 2nd Baron Lovelace (1616-1670), British peer; Richard Lovelace (1618-1657), an English poet in...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lawliss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lawliss family

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Lawliss: James Lawless who settled in Virginia in 1739; Daniel, James, John, Joseph, Michael, Miles, Patrick and Walter Lawless, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860.

The Lawliss 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: Virtute et numine
Motto Translation: By virtue and prudence.