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Irish surname

Lawless: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Laighléis · from Middle English 'Laghles', i.e. 'the lawless, the outlaw'

Woulfe (1923) derives Lawless from Middle English 'Laghles', 'the lawless, the outlaw', and says it was the name of a family who came into Ireland about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and ramified through Leinster and Munster, with a branch in Tirawley, Co. Mayo. He gives the Irish form as Laighléis. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 42 Lawless entries, 13 in Dublin and 12 in Galway.

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Coat of arms associated with the Lawless surname
Irish formLaighléis
Meaningfrom Middle English 'Laghles', i.e. 'the lawless, the outlaw'
CountiesDublin, Galway, Mayo
Other spellings1
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Origin of the Lawless name

Woulfe: a family who came into Ireland 'about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion' and 'ramified through Leinster and Munster'. A branch also settled in Tirawley, Co. Mayo. The Irish form is Laighléis; Woulfe says it is sometimes corrupted in Connacht to Laighréis, and in Munster to Laoighléis and Lileas.[1][2]

  1. 1248Four Masters name Robin Lawless with Jordan de Exeter and John Butler in Umallia.[5]
  2. 1271Donnell O'Flynn slain at Sruthair by the son of Robin Lawless.[6]
  3. 1414Dardis the Lawless taken prisoner at Cill-Eochain and ransomed.[7]
  4. 1798Valentine Lawless arrested in London and committed to the Tower.[8]
  5. 1798General William Lawless escapes arrest and flees to France.[10]
  6. 189042 birth entries: 13 in Dublin, 12 in Galway, 17 over 14 other counties.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. Dublin13 of the 42 Lawless birth entries in 1890.[3]
Co. Galway12 of the 42 Lawless birth entries in 1890.[3]
Co. MayoWoulfe: a branch of the family settled in Tirawley, Co. Mayo.[1]

Notable people named Lawless

Valentine Brown Lawless, Baron Cloncurry1773–1853Born in Merrion Square; sent to the Tower in 1798 over his United Irish ties, and again 1799–1801 (Webb).[8]
John Lawlessc. 1772–1837Politician and editor of the Irishman in Belfast, called 'Honest Jack Lawless' (Webb).[9]
General William Lawlessd. 1824United Irishman; fled to France in 1798, became a general and lost a leg at Dresden (Webb).[10]

Other spellings

Lillis[1][2][4]

The Lawless coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Lawless surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Lawless surname: questions

Is Lawless an Irish surname?

Woulfe gives the Irish form Laighléis, but derives the name from Middle English 'Laghles' and says it was the name of a family who came into Ireland about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]

What does the surname Lawless mean?

Woulfe explains it as Middle English 'Laghles', i.e. 'the lawless, the outlaw'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Lawless name found?

Woulfe says the family spread through Leinster and Munster, with a branch in Tirawley, Co. Mayo. In 1890, 13 of the 42 Lawless birth entries were in Dublin and 12 in Galway.[1][3]

Are Lawless and Lillis the same name?

Woulfe lists Lillis among the forms of Laighléis. Matheson lists Lillis under Lawless as a name found used interchangeably with it in registration records, or reported so by local officers.[1][4][11]

Sources

  1. Laighléis — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/l/laighleis.php
  2. Laoighléis — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/l/laoighleis.php
  3. Lawless — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/lawless.php
  4. Lawless — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1074.php
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1248 (part 8) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text008.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1271 (part 10) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text010.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1414 (part 5) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text005.html
  8. Valentine Brown Lawless, Baron Cloncurry — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ValentineBrownLawlessBaronCloncurry.php
  9. John Lawless — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnLawless.php
  10. General William Lawless — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/GeneralWilliamLawless.php
  11. Memorandum explanatory of Alphabetical List — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/memorandum.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).