924 Global Lawn Family Members

Lawn Family History

This unusual and interesting surname recorded in several spellings including Laun, Lawn, Laund, and Lavender, is job descriptive. It has little or nothing to do with "grass growing" of any type, and derives from the pre 7th century Old French word "lavandier", meaning a person who owned or worked in an early laundry. The term was applied especially to a worker in the wool industry, employed to wash raw wool or rinse the cloth after fulling. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and only became hereditary when the son followed the father into the business.