Lawson
Lawson was the 381st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 830 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 357th; the most babies were born in 2021 (896). Over the last ten years it has moved up 56 places. More babies were named Lawson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Law (Lawrence) · English, Scottish
Say it LAW-sun /ˈlɔsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #381 boys, down 24 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 830boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021896 babies
- Total since 1880
- 19,138babies recorded
What does the name Lawson mean?
Lawson is a Scottish and northern English surname meaning "son of Law", Law being a medieval pet form of Lawrence. DMNES derives Lawrence from Latin Laurentius, linked with laurus, "laurel". Wiktionary adds that in the US Lawson can also be an English form of Scandinavian Larsen or Larsson, "son of Lars (Lawrence)".
Law (Middle English, “pet form of Lawrence”)laurus (Latin, “laurel”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Lawrence, Larson, Larsen.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lawson', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Laurence', DMNES, Durham University
Lawson popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 605 since 1992, 54 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #381 | 830 |
| 2020 | #357 | 871 |
| 2010 | #617 | 401 |
| 2000 | #963 | 158 |
| 1990 | #1,999 | 38 |
| 1980 | #2,250 | 23 |
| 1970 | #1,731 | 26 |
| 1960 | #1,282 | 38 |
| 1950 | #996 | 49 |
| 1940 | #1,001 | 42 |
| 1930 | #936 | 52 |
| 1920 | #698 | 86 |
| 1910 | #805 | 15 |
| 1900 | #611 | 17 |
| 1890 | #450 | 17 |
| 1880 | #388 | 20 |
How popular is Lawson, counting every spelling?
Lawson is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #389 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #381 for Lawson on its own. Together these spellings went to 841 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawson | 830 | #381 | 4,062 |
| Lawsen | 11 | #7,467 | 41 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lawson?
830 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lawson (0.23 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lawson born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lawson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lawson?
About 15,700 people born in the US named Lawson are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 18. That makes Lawson a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lawson by state
How common Lawson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (4.6×), Arkansas (3.8×), Alabama (3.7×), North Dakota (3.0×), Louisiana (2.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Nevada, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lawson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lawson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lawson · Sibling names for Lawson
Questions about the name Lawson
What does Lawson mean?
Lawson means “son of Law (Lawrence)” (English, Scottish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lawson?
Lawson was the 381st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 830 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 357th; the most babies were born in 2021 (896). Over the last ten years it has moved up 56 places. More babies were named Lawson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Lawson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Lawson in the US.
Where is Lawson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lawson was most common in Mississippi (2.15 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arkansas and Alabama.