Lash
A surname that may come from a nickname or from the word for a whip or lash, though the exact origin is uncertain.
The #5,206 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,999 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Lash is probably English in form, but its exact source is not securely established in the excerpts. It may be connected with the common English word lash, meaning a whip stroke or something used for striking, which would make it a nickname surname. Another possibility is that it reflects a shortened or altered form of another older name, but the evidence here is not strong enough to be certain.
History
The name is recorded in England by the 17th and 18th centuries, with examples from Berkshire and Wiltshire in the sources provided. Later it appears in surname lists grouped with names thought to relate to blows, striking, or tools of action, which supports a nickname-style explanation, but not definitively. Today it survives as a relatively uncommon English-language surname, including in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname studies, Lash is sometimes placed alongside names built from vivid action words like Clash, Whip, and Knock.
From the historical record
“any solution. 1671. Robert Lash (co. Berks) and PreciIIa Garrard : Marriage Lie. (Facoliy Office), p. lao. Richard Lash, 1722: Reg. Broad Chalice, co. Wilts, p. 54.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)