Origin
Lawrence : English: from the Middle English and Old French personal name Lorens Laurence from Latin Laurentius ‘man from Laurentum’ a place in Italy probably named from its laurels or bay trees. The name was borne by a Christian saint who was martyred at Rome in the 3rd century AD; he enjoyed a considerable cult throughout Europe with consequent popularity of the personal name (French Laurent Italian Spanish Lorenzo Catalan Llorenç Portuguese Lourenço German Laurenz Polish Wawrzyniec etc.). In Britain this is a common name from the 12th century with pet forms such as Law Low Lawrie Laurie Larry Larkin all of which are represented in surnames. There was also a feminine form Laurencia which may have given rise to the English surname. The surname is also borne by Jews among whom it is presumably an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Ashkenazic surnames. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates from other languages e.g. German Lorenz and also their patronymics and other derivatives e.g. Slovenian Lavrenčič and Lovrenčič (patronymics from Lavrencij and Lovrenc equivalents of Lawrence) Polish Wawrzyniak. Compare Larrance Laurence Lawerence Lieurance and Lowrance.
Dymott : variant of Dimmock with substitution of /t/ for /k/ as suggested by Lawrence Dymock 1611 William Dimott 1781 in IGI (Ringwood Hants). With the early bearers below compare Ric. Dymmoke 1296 Johe Dymmok 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Street Sussex) Anthony Dimocke yeoman of Ellingham 1633 in New Forest Documents (Hants) and John Dymock 1801 in IGI (Fordingbridge Hants).
Ebdon : from Ebdon Farm in Sidbury (Devon) or less likely Ebdon in Wick Saint Lawrence (Somerset).
Eyett : from Ayot Saint Lawrence or Ayot Saint Peter (Herts) recorded as Ægete in 1065 Aiete in 1086 and Aete in 1227. The origin of the place-name is uncertain but it may derive from an Old English personal name *Ǣga + Old English geat ‘gate gap’.
Liddiard : English: habitational name from one of a number of places: two in Wiltshire Lydiard Millicent and Lydiard Tregose; and two in Somerset Bishop's Lydeard and Lydeard Saint Lawrence. The placenames derive from a British name composed of garth ‘hill or ridge’ and an uncertain first element possibly lēd ‘gray’.
Manston : 1: from Manston (Dorset) Manston in Saint Lawrence in Thanet (Kent) Manston in Austhorpe (WR Yorks) or Manston Hall in Whepstead (Suffolk). The place-names probably derive from the Old English personal name Mann (genitive Mannes) + Old English tūn ‘farmstead estate’. 2: there has probably been some confusion with Mainstone.
Ovenden : 1: perhaps from Ovingdean (Sussex) which is recorded as Ouingeden in the 11th century and Vuingeden in 1198 though no medieval forms of this surname have been found; an alternative derivation from (2) is not impossible by family migration. The place-name Ovingdean derives from the Old English personal name Ofa or Ūfa + the Old English group name suffix -ingas (genitive -inga-) + Old English denu ‘valley’.see Ovington. 2: possibly sometimes from Ovenden (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Ovenden and Ovinden in the 13th century but Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames argues that in WR Yorks it is chiefly a variant of the Lancs surname Wolfenden citing Lawrence Woffendenne or Hovenden 1560–4 (Halifax parish registers) and JoshuaWolfenden otherwise Woffindale otherwise Ovenden of Heckmondwike 1770 (Birstall parish registers). The place-name Ovenden derives from Old English ofen ‘furnace’ or ofan ufan ‘over above’ + denu ‘valley’.
St. Laurent : French (Saint-Laurent): habitational name from any of several places in various parts of France named Saint-Laurent (from the dedication of their churches to Saint Lawrence) or a nickname with the prefix Saint as an (ironic) attachment to the personal name or surname Laurent.
Tarr : 1: English (mainly Devon and Somerset): habitational name from Tarr in Hawkridge or Tarr in Lydeard Saint Lawrence (both in Somerset). The placenames may derive from Old English torr ‘rock rocky peak’ though this cannot be certain as early forms of the placenames have not been found.2: English: metonymic occupational name from Middle English tar(re) ‘tar’ (Old English teoru) for someone who worked with tar such as a person who tarred ships to keep them watertight.3: Possibly also an altered form of German Tharr unexplained.
Whitewood : 1: from Whitwood (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Witeuude in 1086 Whitewude in 1197 and Whittewood in 1364 or from other places similarly named such as Whitewood Farm in Barton under Needwood (Staffs) which is recorded as le Whyte Wode in 1337 and Whitewood Farm in Norton Malreward (Somerset) which is recorded as Whytwood in 1585. The place-names derive from Old English hwīt ‘white’ + wudu ‘wood’. The modern Yorks surname may however have a different origin; see (3). Some of the post-medieval bearers cited here may belong with (2). 2: in IoW Kent Sussex Norfolk and perhaps elsewhere a variant of Whitehead. 3: in Yorks a variant of Whitworth as suggested by Redmonds. He cites Lawrence Whitworth 1634 Lawrence Whitwood 1636 in Parish Registers (Rothwell WR Yorks) and points out that the medieval surname which derived from Whitwood (WR Yorks) may not have survived since there is a long gap in the evidence between the late 15th century bearers (see (2) above) and the subsequent appearance of Whitwood forms in the 17th century.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
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