Laws History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  France 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


Laws was first used as a surname by the descendents of the Boernician clans of Scotland. The Laws family lived near a hill. Laws is a local name, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. There are many different categories of local surnames, some of which include: topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. Laws is a topographic name, and it comes from the Old English word, hlaw, which means hill.

Early Origins of the Laws family

The surname Laws was first found in Northumberland, where they were lords of the manor and seated from very ancient times.

Early History of the Laws family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laws research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1602, 1645, 1662, 1671, 1686, 1729, 1761 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Laws History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laws Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages simply spelled according to sound. The result is an enormous number of spelling variations among names that evolved in that era. Laws has been spelled Law, Lawe, Lawes and others.

Early Notables of the Laws family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Law (1671-1729), a Scottish economist, Controller General of Finances of France under King Louis XV; William Law (1686-1761), an Anglican priest from Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire who is honoured on April 10 with a...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Laws Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laws Ranking

In the United States, the name Laws is the 2,198th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Laws family to Ireland

Some of the Laws family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Laws migration to the United States +

Most of the Boernician-Scottish families who came to North America settled on the eastern seaboard of what would become the United States and Canada. Families who wanted a new order stayed south in the War of Independence, while those who were still loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, the ancestors of these families have gone on to rediscover their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Laws or a variant listed above:

Laws Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Laws Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Laws migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Laws Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Laws Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Laws migration to Australia +

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

Laws Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Laws 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:

Laws Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Laws (post 1700) +


The Laws 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: Compositum jus fasque animi
Motto Translation: A mind which respects alike the laws of mutual justice and of God.
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