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Laws Family History

Laws Surname Meaning

English: variant of Law (pet form of Lawrence) with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

Perhaps a shortened form of Scottish or Irish McLeish.

Compare McLaws.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Laws family from?

You can see how Laws families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Laws family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Laws families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 667 Laws families living in Durham. This was about 20% of all the recorded Laws's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Laws families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Laws surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Laws ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Laws. 13% of Laws men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Laws women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Laws were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Laws | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Farm Labourer
    4%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Laws family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 118,000 census records available for the last name Laws. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Laws census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Laws

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Laws. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Laws immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Laws. For the veterans among your Laws ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Laws military records

You've only scratched the surface of Laws family history

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What is the average Laws lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Laws life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Laws in 1943 was 42, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Laws

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Laws ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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