Layson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Layson is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came 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 Layson was originally derived from the given name of the father of the bearer.

Early Origins of the Layson family

The surname Layson 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 Layson family

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

Layson Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Layson include Lawson, Laweson and others.

Early Notables of the Layson 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 Layson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Layson family to Ireland

Some of the Layson 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.

Layson migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Layson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pedro Layson, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1816 5
Thomas Layson, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Maryland in 1840 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Layson (post 1700) +

Thomas J. Layson (1900-1983), American Republican politician, Grundy County Prosecuting Attorney; Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Grundy County, 1947-50 6
Evelyn F. Layson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1952 6
James Forbes Layson (1900-1963), American stage actor
Roberto Layson, Filipino Priest and a member of Oblate Missionary Immaculate, a Catholic religious organization

The Layson 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.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html