Rawls
A surname that most likely began as a patronymic or nickname form related to Ralph or another medieval personal name.
The #3,074 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,436 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rawls is generally understood as an English surname built from a medieval personal name, most likely a short form or variant of Ralph. Ralph itself comes through Old French from an Old Norse name element meaning "wolf counsel," so Rawls would originally have meant "son of Ralph" or "Ralph’s descendant." In some cases it may also reflect a nickname-style spelling influenced by local pronunciation rather than a separate root.
History
The name appears in England in forms that vary widely in spelling, which is common for surnames derived from personal names before spelling was standardized. It later established itself in Britain and was carried to North America, where Rawls remains a relatively uncommon but recognizable surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname has a familiar sound in English because it closely echoes the word "rawls" in dialect pronunciation, but its likely history is tied to the old personal name Ralph rather than to a descriptive word.