boy's name
Lawson
LAW-sun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 21,714
the United States
#381
2025 births
Lawson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Law", where Law is a medieval short form of Lawrence. The full name comes from Laurentum, a town in Italy, so the sense underneath is a man from that place.
- Lawson is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 929 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,750 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lawson over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 161 |
| 1890s | 136 |
| 1900s | 170 |
| 1910s | 533 |
| 1920s | 691 |
| 1930s | 495 |
| 1940s | 521 |
| 1950s | 416 |
| 1960s | 296 |
| 1970s | 219 |
| 1980s | 277 |
| 1990s | 734 |
| 2000s | 2,840 |
| 2010s | 6,510 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,139 |
What Lawson means
Lawson means son of Law. Law shortened Lawrence in medieval England, and Lawrence comes from Laurentius, a man of Laurentum — the laurel-crowned reading is a later and prettier association with the town's own name.
Where Lawson comes from
Lawson is a patronymic from Law, the standard medieval English short form of Lawrence, itself from the Latin Laurentius, meaning of Laurentum, a coastal town south of Rome. The town's name is generally connected to laurus, the laurel, which is where the association with laurel crowns comes from — but the name says the place, not the plant. Saint Lawrence, martyred in Rome in 258, made the name common across Europe. The surname is concentrated in northern England and Scotland. First-name use is modern, and in Australia it carries the writer Henry Lawson.
Lawson in use
Lawson appears in our records from 1880 and charts in six of the seven countries we track.
How popular is Lawson?
In 2025, Lawson was given to 884 babies in the United States, ranking #381 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Lawson is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Lawson
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lawson also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lawson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Lawson
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Lawson in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Lawson
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lawson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lawson
What does the name Lawson mean?
Son of Law, where Law is a medieval short form of Lawrence.
Does Lawson mean laurel?
Indirectly at best. Lawrence means of Laurentum, a town in Italy whose own name is linked to the laurel — the name says the place.
Is Lawson a boy's or a girl's name?
It is given almost entirely to boys.
How popular is the name Lawson?
In 2025, Lawson was given to 884 babies in the United States, ranking #381 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Lawson?
Lawson has 2 syllables.
When was Lawson most popular?
Lawson peaked in 2021, when 929 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Lawson?
Lawson is usually shortened to Law.
Is Lawson a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lawson currently ranks #381 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.