Lawrence (surname)
Lawrence is an English, Scottish and Irish surname. It is derived from the Middle English or Old French given name Laurence, itself derived from Latin Laurentius. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Britain lists Laurence and McLaren as variants.
Laurentius, a Latin given name which means "from Laurentium", derives from the word laurel, a Roman symbol of victory.
Notable people
A–D
- Abbott Lawrence, a noted merchant and founder of Lawrence, Massachusetts
- Abraham Riker Lawrence, New York Supreme Court Justice
- Allan Lawrence (politician), Ontario provincial MPP and federal MP
- Alonzo Lawrence, American football player
- Amos Adams Lawrence, abolitionist and founder of the University of Kansas
- Amos Lawrence, Massachusetts philanthropist and politician
- Andrew Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Andria Lawrence, British actress
- Anya Lawrence, British actress
- Bert Lawrence, Ontario provincial MPP
- Bill Lawrence (TV producer), American screenwriter and the creator of Scrubs
- Brenton Lawrence, Australian Rugby League player
- Brian Lawrence, American baseball pitcher
- Bruno Lawrence, New Zealand actor and musician
- Carmen Lawrence, Australian politician
- Carol Lawrence, American actress most often associated with musical theatre
- Carolyn Lawrence, American voice actress
- Casey Lawrence, American baseball pitcher
- Charles Lawrence (British Army officer), British military officer and later governor of Nova Scotia
- Chris Lawrence (rugby league), Australian Rugby League player
- Christopher Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Claudia Lawrence, disappeared in York, England in 2009
- Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence, Mayor of New York City, and US Congressman
- Curly Lawrence, British model engineer
- Cyril Lawrence, English footballer
- D. H. Lawrence, English author
- Davey Lawrence, English ice hockey goaltender
- David Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Debbi Lawrence, American racewalker
- Derek Lawrence, English record producer
- Dexter Lawrence, American football player
- Don Lawrence, British comic book artist
- Dorothy Bell Lawrence, New York assemblywoman
- Doug Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Douglas Lawrence, Australian organist, conductor, and choir director
E–J
- Edith Lawrence, British artist
- Edward A. Lawrence, New York politician
- Effingham Lawrence, US Congressman from Louisiana
- Ellis F. Lawrence, architect and founder of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon
- Ernest O. Lawrence, Nobel Prize-winning physicist: best known for inventing the cyclotron, his work in the Manhattan Project, and founding Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Eugene Lawrence, American basketball player
- Emilio Lawrence, Scottish footballer
- Fenda Lawrence, 18th-century slave trader
- Florence Lawrence, inventor and silent film actress from Hamilton, Ontario
- Frances Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Francis Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Frederick William Lawrence, Canadian–American airbrush painter
- Frederick Newbold Lawrence, American president of the New York Stock Exchange
- Gaylon Lawrence, American businessman and farmer
- Geoffrey Lawrence (disambiguation)
- George Alfred Lawrence, English novelist
- George Newbold Lawrence, American businessman and amateur ornithologist
- George P. Lawrence, former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
- George St. Patrick Lawrence, English soldier
- George Van Eman Lawrence, member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
- Gertrude Lawrence, English actress and musical comedy performer
- Hal Lawrence, Canadian naval officer, historian and author
- Henry Lawrence British soldier
- Henry Lawrence, English rugby union player
- Herbert Lawrence British soldier
- Holly Lawrence, British triathlete
- Iain Lawrence, British film director and screenwriter
- Jacob Lawrence, American painter known for "dynamic cubism" style
- Jacqueline Lawrence (canoeist),, Australian slalom canoeist
- James Lawrence, English footballer
- James Lawrence, American naval captain and hero of the War of 1812
- Jennifer Lawrence, American actress
- Jennifer Lawrence (Stop the Steal), political activist
- Joey Lawrence, American comic actor
- John Hundale Lawrence, a nuclear medicine pioneer, brother of Ernest O. Lawrence
- John L. Lawrence, New York politician
- John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence, British statesman
- Joseph Lawrence (Pennsylvania politician), member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
- Josie Lawrence, English actress and comedian
- Justin Lawrence (disambiguation), multiple people
K–S
- Katrina Lawrence, Australian slalom canoeist
- Key Lawrence, American football player
- Lawrence (1831 cricketer), an English cricketer whose first name is not known
- Liam Lawrence, English-born Irish footballer
- Liz Lawrence, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Margaret Morgan Lawrence, American psychiatrist
- Martin Lawrence, American actor and comedian
- Mary Lawrence (actor), American film and television actress and author
- Mary Lawrence (sculptor), American sculptor
- Mary V. Tingley Lawrence, American writer, customs inspector
- Matthew Lawrence,, English footballer
- Matthew Lawrence,, English puritan preacher
- M. Larry Lawrence, United States Ambassador
- Michael Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Mike Lawrence (bridge), American bridge player
- Mr. Lawrence, American actor
- Nathaniel Lawrence, New York politician
- Patrice Lawrence, British writer and journalist
- Peter Lawrence (disambiguation), multiple people
- Philip Lawrence, murdered headmaster of St. George's Roman Catholic School
- Raghava Lawrence, Indian choreographer, actor, director and producer
- Rashard Lawrence, American football player
- R. D. Lawrence, Canadian naturalist and writer
- Reginald Frederick Lawrence, South African entomologist
- Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. the first Black American astronaut and member of the proposed Manned Orbiting Laboratory program of the U.S. Air Force
- Rosalyn Lawrence, Australian slalom canoeist
- Sally Ward Lawrence Hunt Armstrong Downs, also known as Sallie Ward,, American socialite.
- Samuel Lawrence (disambiguation)
- Samuel Lawrence (congressman), New York politician
- Samuel Lawrence (Canadian politician), Canadian politician
- Scott Lawrence, American film and television actor and voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars video games
- Sharon Lawrence, American television actress
- Sihna Lawrence, member of the cabinet of Federated States of Micronesia
- Murder of Stephen Lawrence
- Steve Lawrence, American singer, comedian, and actor
- Stringer Lawrence, English soldier
- Syd Lawrence, British bandleader and founder of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra big band
T–Z
- T. E. Lawrence, British soldier and author
- Tayna Lawrence, Jamaican athlete
- Thomas Lawrence, English portrait painter
- Thriston Lawrence, South African golfer
- Tommy Lawrence, Scottish footballer
- Toni Lawrence, convicted of criminal confinement in the torture-murder of Shanda Sharer
- Tracy Lawrence, American country singer and musician
- Trevor Lawrence, American football player
- Trevor Lawrence (disambiguation), several other people
- Vicki Lawrence, American actress, singer, and comedian
- Washington H. Lawrence, founder of National Carbon Company
- Wendell Lawrence, Bahamian triple jumper
- William Lawrence (disambiguation)
- William Appleton Lawrence, 3rd Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts
- William Lawrence (biologist), English surgeon and natural historian, a pre-Darwinian advocate of anthropoid origin of mankind
- William Lawrence (bishop), the 7th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
- William Lawrence (Ohio Democrat), member of the United States House of Representatives from the 17th District of Ohio
- William Lawrence (Ohio Republican), Republican politician from Ohio
- William P. Lawrence, United States naval officer
- William Witherle Lawrence, American philologist
Fictional characters
- Col. John Lawrence, main character in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
- Johnny Lawrence, character in the Karate Kid franchise
- Carrie and Jack Lawrence, characters in the 1997 American comedy movie Fathers' Day
- Eula Lawrence, playable character in the 2020 video game Genshin Impact
- Sammy Lawrence, Prophet of mighty Ink Demon Bendy from BATIM