Laidlaw Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Laidlaw last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Laidlaw last name
Meaning of the Laidlaw last name: mound or hill. Laidlaw is a Scottish surname from a Borders place name, probably from Old English for a mound or hill. It is concentrated in Selkirkshire and Roxburghshire. William Laidlaw, friend and secretary of Sir Walter Scott, carried this last name, and it remains a Border name today.
Arms associated with the Laidlaw name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Laidlaw name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Laidlaw family history
This is only a glimpse of the Laidlaw story. The full Laidlaw history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Laidlaw coat of arms. Get the full Laidlaw report.
Laidlaw name FAQ
What does the Laidlaw name mean?
Mound or hill. Common variants include Ladlaw.
Where does the Laidlaw surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Laidlaw coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Laidlaw coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).