Lawrence

Lawrence
This ancient surname is recorded in over one hundred spelling forms ranging from the Scottish and English Lawrence and Laurens, to Laurant (France), Lorentz (Germany), Lorenzo (Spain), Renzi (Italy), and Vavrik (Czech). However spelt the ultimate surname derives from the male given name "Laurentius", which itself originates from Laurentium, the "city of laurels", in Italy. The idea of the laurel as a symbol of victory was probably the principal reason for the popularity of the name. Among Christians it became a favourite name through St. Laurence, Archdeacon of Rome in the mid 3rd Century, who was martyred under Valerian in 258 A.D., the church of Edzel in Scotland is dedicated to him. There is only one example of the name in the earliest known public records, the Domesday Book of England in 1086; however, by a century later, the name had became popular at all social levels. This in turn lead to the recognisable modern English and Scottish surnames Lawrence, Laurence and Lawrance, and such variants as Laurie and Lowrie. Early examples of recordings include Johan Lauri of Ulm in 1376, and Lucas Laurenci of Mahren, Germany, in 1447. In the church registers of London, England from the time of Queen Elizabeth 1st we have the christening of Ann Lawrence, on January 12th 1555, at St. Pancras', and one of the earliest settlers in the New World was Richard Lawrence, aged 20 yrs. He left London in January 1634, bound for the Barbados Island. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Magister Laurentius, a cleric, which was dated circa 1150, in the "Episcopal Records of Glasgow", Scotland. This was during the reign of King David 1 of Scotland, 1124 - 1153. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Lawrence — may refer to:GeographyCommunitiesIn Australia: *Lawrence, New South WalesIn New Zealand: * Lawrence, New ZealandIn the United States: * Lawrence, Indiana * Lawrence, Kansas (the most populous Lawrence) * Lawrence, Massachusetts * Lawrence,… …   Wikipedia

  • Lawrence — steht für: Lawrence (Familienname), den Familiennamen Lawrence Lawrence (Vorname) (als Spitzname: „Larry“), den Vornamen Lawrence Lawrence (Mondkrater) Lawrence Academy Lawrence v. Texas, ein Gerichtsfall Lawrence von Arabien (Film), ein Film St …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lawrence — Lawrence, David Herbert Lawrence, Ernest Orlando Lawrence, Thomas Edward ► C. del NE de E.U.A., en el estado de Massachusetts; 66 915 h (área metropolitana Lawrence Haverhill, 200 280 h). * * * (as used in expressions) Lawrence Cecil Adler Alma… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • LAWRENCE (T. E.) — Thomas Edward Lawrence est essentiellement connu pour son action auprès des tribus arabes pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, ce qui fit de lui un héros presque légendaire et lui valut le surnom de Lawrence d’Arabie. Lawrence a t il été… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • LAWRENCE (D. H.) — Nombreux furent et restent les malentendus qui entourent un des plus grands écrivains britanniques du XXe siècle. Aux uns, il paraît un érotomane, aux autres, le prophète d’une renaissance à partir de l’harmonie sexuelle. D’autres encore… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lawrence — Lawrence, NE U.S. village in Nebraska Population (2000): 312 Housing Units (2000): 167 Land area (2000): 0.414809 sq. miles (1.074351 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.414809 sq. miles (1.074351… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Lawrence — hace referencia a: D. H. Lawrence, escritor británico, Ernest Lawrence, físico estadounidense, premio Nobel de Física en 1939; Jacob Lawrence (1917 2000), pintor estadounidense; Lawrence Durrell, escritor y novelista británico; Lawrence… …   Wikipedia Español

  • LAWRENCE (E. O.) — LAWRENCE ERNEST ORLANDO (1901 1958) Physicien américain né à Canton (Dakota du Sud) et mort à Palo Alto (Californie). Après des études effectuées dans les universités du Dakota du Sud, du Minnesota et de Chicago, Ernest O. Lawrence soutient, en… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • LAWRENCE (T.) — LAWRENCE sir THOMAS (1769 1830) Peintre anglais. Bien que Thomas Lawrence ait exécuté quelques peintures d’histoire au début de sa carrière (Homère récitant ses poèmes , exposé en 1791, coll. Kincaid Lennox, Downton Castle), sa production presque …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lawrence — (David Herbert) (1885 1930) romancier anglais. Il traite l harmonie sexuelle, le viol, la bisexualité, la solitude, l autodestruction: le Serpent à plumes (1926), l Amant de lady Chatterley (1928, longtemps interdit en Angleterre). Lawrence… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lawrence — Lawrence1 [lôr′əns, lär′əns] n. a masculine name: see LAURENCE Lawrence2 [lôr′əns, lär′əns] 1. D(avid) H(erbert) 1885 1930; Eng. novelist & poet 2. Ernest O(rlando) 1901 58; U.S. physicist 3. Gertrude (born Gertrud Alexandra Dagmar Lawrence… …   English World dictionary

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