Lawless

Lawless
Recorded in various forms including Lwless, Lawles, Laweles and possibly others, this is an English medieval surname. It is said to be a nickname for a licentious man, from the Early English word "laweles" meaning uncontrolled by the law, unbridled or licentious. Whilst this may be true, it is more likely that being a nickname it actually meant the very opposite of what it appears to describe, and that probably it was given as a mocking name for somebody who was law abiding! Very few if any nickname surnames have survived which cast aspersions on the nameholder, and as this name is quite popular it seems unlikely that the nameholders of seven centuries ago saw themselves as lawless. This is also born out by the early recordings, the first being for a member of Parliament, see below, whilst Thomas Laghelas was a Freemen of the city of York in 1360, whilst Richard Lawles appears in the charters known as the Testamenta Cantiana, for the county of Kent in 1535. Church register recordings include examples such as Margery Lawles, christened at St. Mary at Hill, city of London on November 19th 1551, and William Lawless in the parish of St. Michael's Barbados in 1678. Valentine Browne Lawless (1773 - 1853) was the second Baron Cloncurry. He received a B.A. at Trinity College Dublin in 1792. The first recorded spelling of the family name may be that of Huge Laghlese. This was dated 1314, in the "Writs of Parliament", during the reign of King Edward 11nd, 1307 - 1327. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes 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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  • Lawless — may refer to:* Blackie Lawless (b. 1954), musician * Emily Lawless (1845 ndash; 1913), author * Jack Lawless (b.1987), musician * Lucy Lawless (b.1968), actress * Tom Lawless (b.1956), baseballer * Valentine Lawless (1773 ndash; 1853), politician …   Wikipedia

  • Lawless — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Blackie Lawless (* 1956), US amerikanischer Musiker Emily Lawless (1845–1913), irische Schriftstellerin Lucy Lawless (* 1968), neuseeländische Schauspielerin Tom Lawless (* 1956), US amerikanischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lawless — Law less, a. 1. Contrary to, or unauthorized by, law; illegal; as, a lawless claim. [1913 Webster] He needs no indirect nor lawless course. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Not subject to, or restrained by, the law of morality or of society; as, lawless… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lawless — law·less adj 1: not restrained or controlled by law 2: illegal a lawless act law·less·ly adv law·less·ness n Merriam Webster’s Dicti …   Law dictionary

  • lawless — [lô′lis] adj. 1. without law; not regulated by the authority of law [a lawless city] 2. not in conformity with law; illegal [lawless practices] 3. not obeying the law; unruly; disorderly lawlessly adv. lawlessness n …   English World dictionary

  • Lawless — Lawless  латинская chicano rap группа из Лос Анджелеса, США, штат Калифорния. Почти все песни группы исполнены на английском языке, остальные  на испанском. Группой выпущено 3 альбома. Некоторые записи использованы в записи микстейпов DJ Payback… …   Википедия

  • Lawless — es un grupo latino de rap nativo de Los Ángeles, California. Discografía Here s To You (1998). A Way Of Life (2000). Wild, Wild West (2002). Sweet Sexy Mama (2002) Categoría: Grupos de rap de Estados Unidos …   Wikipedia Español

  • lawless — c.1200, lawelese (see LAW (Cf. law) + LESS (Cf. less)) Related: Lawlessly; lawlessness …   Etymology dictionary

  • lawless — [adj] reckless, ungoverned anarchic, anarchical, anarchistic, bad, barbarous, chaotic, contumacious, criminal, despotic, disobedient, disordered, disorderly, evil, fierce, heterodox, infringing, insubordinate, insurgent, mutinous, nihilistic,… …   New thesaurus

  • lawless — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ not governed by or obedient to laws. DERIVATIVES lawlessly adverb lawlessness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • Lawless —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie des personnes (réelles ou fictives) partageant un même patronyme. Lawless est un nom de famille notamment porté par : Blackie Lawless (1956 ), chanteur et guitariste du groupe de Heavy metal W.A.S.P.… …   Wikipédia en Français

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