Lawles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The surname Lawles 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, Lawles came from a nickname for a person who was an outlaw, or was uncontrolled or unrestrained. The Gaelic form of the surname Lawles is Laighléis.

Early Origins of the Lawles family

The surname Lawles 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 Lawles family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lawles 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 Lawles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lawles Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Lawles included: Lawless, Lovelace, Lovelass, Loveless and others.

Early Notables of the Lawles family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Nicholas Lawless (1735-1799), created 1st Baron Cloncurry in the Peerage of Ireland, in 1789

Migration of the Lawles family

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Lawles: 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 Lawles 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.