Laurence
A surname from the given name Laurence, ultimately meaning “from Laurentum” and long associated with the saint’s name.
The #9,722 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,550 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Laurence is a surname taken from the personal name Laurence, itself from Latin Laurentius, meaning “from Laurentum,” an ancient Roman place name. The name came into English through Old French and was reinforced by the popularity of St. Laurence. In surname use, it usually began as a patronymic: “son of Laurence” or “descendant of Laurence.”
History
Medieval records show Laurence used as a family name in England fairly early, often alongside many spelling variants and short forms such as Laurie or Larry. The surname also spread into French-influenced and English-speaking communities beyond Britain. Because the given name was common for centuries, the surname developed independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The saint behind the name is St. Laurence, one of the most widely venerated early Christian martyrs, which helped keep the name popular for generations.
From the historical record
“LARSEN (Scand.) LaRs' (Laurence's) Son [see .Laurence in Diet. ; and + the Seand. fil. suff. -sen, Dan.-Norw. son = Swed. son'\ LEBAS 1 (Fr.) The Short [Fr. le, the ; Lat.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)