Fun Facts About the Name Law
- 196 babies named Law: U.S. records list 196 babies given the name Law from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Law Mean?
Law is an English given name derived from a surname meaning "hill" or "mound," from Old English hlāw. The Old English word referred to a natural hill or an artificial mound, including a burial mound. In Middle English it appeared as lawe, and it became a topographic surname for someone who lived by such a feature. The name is not related to the modern English noun law meaning a rule, which comes from Old Norse lagu. As a given name, Law is a transferred use of the surname. It is occasionally treated as a short form of Lawrence, but Lawrence comes from the Latin Laurentius, meaning "of Laurentum," and has a separate origin.
Law Name History & Origins
Law began as a surname in England and Scotland. In England, it was a topographic name from Middle English lawe, itself from Old English hlāw, given to a person who lived near a hill or mound. In Scotland, the same element appears in place names such as North Berwick Law and Traprain Law, and in the village of Law in South Lanarkshire; the surname also arose as a habitational name for people from such places. Surnames of this type became common in the medieval period, and Law was established as a surname in both countries. The surname is familiar from Andrew Bonar Law (1858 - 1923), a British prime minister born in Canada to a Scottish family. As a given name, Law is uncommon and is mainly a transferred surname; it also appears occasionally as a short form of Lawrence. The spelling Law is separately used in Cantonese as a romanization of the Chinese surname 羅 (Luo), but that is a different name tradition.
How Popular is the Name Law?
Law has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2022. Its best rank was #5,766 in 2022.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,466 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,320 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #6,374 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #5,766 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #6,934 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #6,491 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #5,987 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #6,551 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #8,546 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #7,414 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #11,533 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #11,562 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #10,290 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #10,347 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #11,691 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #7,382 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #9,524 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #11,963 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #11,778 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,202 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Law Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Law's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Law's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.