Show ContentsLowson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Lowson comes from the baptismal name Law, which was a short form of Lawrence. [1] Baptismal names are a form of patronymic surnames, and come from religious and vernacular naming traditions. In this case, the surname Lowson was originally derived from the given name of the father of the bearer.

Early Origins of the Lowson family

The surname Lowson was first found in Yorkshire where some of the first records of the family were found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Willelmus Lauson, Henricus Laweson and Agnes Law-wyf. [2] "The patriarch of the family was John Lawson, who temp. Henry II. was lord of Fawlesgrave, Yorkshire and from him the existing Baronet is lineally descended." [3]

Further to the north in Scotland, the name was also patronymic denoting "son of Lawrence." Early records include: "Richard Laurence of Byker of Lanarkshire who rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296; Richard Lawson, who was canon of St. Giles, Edinburgh, and laird of Grothill in 1370; John Lawson de Lyntoun, a tenant under Douglas in Linton in 1376; and Ady Lawsoun, a forestaller in Aberdeen in 1402. [4]

Early History of the Lowson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowson research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1554, 1576, 1610, 1615, 1630, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1664, 1665, 1674, 1679, 1688, 1691, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lowson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowson Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Lowson has appeared include Lawson, Laweson and others.

Early Notables of the Lowson family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Wilfred Lawson; Sir John Lawson (ca. 1615-1665), English Naval Officer; Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet, of Isel (c 1610-1688) was an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lowson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Lowson family to Ireland

Some of the Lowson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lowson migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Lowson arrived in North America very early:

Lowson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Lowson, who landed in America in 1760-1763 [5]


The Lowson 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: Leve et reluis
Motto Translation: Arise and re-illumine.


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. 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)


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