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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Laurence m. Latin Laurentius, a Roman cognomen, from Latin laurus 'laurel, bay-tree'.

The name of a 3rd C Italian saint, a 6th C Italian saint, a 6th C antipope, a 7th C Italian saint, and a 12th C Italian saint.

Croatia
Latin
1474 Lawreus (nom) Brgles p. 11
Czech Republic
Latin
1351 Laurencij (gen) chlumecky 46, Laurencius (nom) ibid. 5; 1353 Laurencij (dat) ibid. 94, Laurencio (dat) ibid. 129
England
Latin
1155 Laurentius (nom) FPD p. 121, fn. 1; 1279–80 Laurencii (gen) WaHR-SK p. 48; 1297 Laurentius (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 1; 1298 Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 1; 1347 Laurentii (gen) SocAntNor-3-3 no. 5; 1377 Laurencius (nom) FenPT-2 p. 5; 1381 Laurence (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 76, Laurencius (nom) FenPT-2 p. 10, Suffolk1381 p. 134, Laurentio (abl) ibid. p. 90; 1383 Laurentio (abl) SocAntNor-3-3 no. 58; 1406 Laurencio (dat) EEW p. 14; 1411 Laurencio (dat) ibid. p. 21, Laurencium (acc) ibid. p. 21; 1529 Laurentio (dat) WillsInv LXXIX
Middle English
1406 Laurans EEW p. 13; 1411 laurens ibid. p. 18
Early Modern English
1522 Lawrence WillsInv LXXVI; 1530 Laurance LIWill-III p. 22, Laurenc ibid. p. 24, Laurence ibid. p. 14, WillsInv LXXX, Lawrence LIWill-III p. 81; 1540 Larrance StAnthonlin p. 2, Laurans BarnstapleBap p. 2; 1542 Lawrence BEmar-vol1 p. 2; 1542/3 lawrens SIAcc 3; 1546 Lawerance BarnstapleBap p. 5; 1551 Laurence DEmar-vol1 p. 79; 1553 Laweranc BarnstapleBap p. 8; 1554 Lawerance ibid. p. 8; 1555 Lawrance ibid. p. 9; 1557 Larence ibid. p. 10, Lawrence BEmar-vol1 p. 6; 1558 Laurence bruton-vol1 p. 109, Lourance DU-DSMMar; 1559 Lawrenc SOmar-vol9 p. 2; 1560 Lawrence BarnstapleBap p. 10, COmar-vol5 p. 1, Lawrens BEmar-vol1 p. 7; 1561 Laurance BarnstapleBap p. 11; 1564 Lawrence BUmar-vol9 p. 4; 1565 Larrance StAnthonlin p. 17; 1568 Laurance OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1569 Lawrance CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1571 Laurance OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1573 Laurence BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1574 Laurance OrpingtonKe p. 4; 1576 Laurance ibid. p. 5; 1577 Laurence BUmar-vol2 p. 62; 1578 Laurance OrpingtonKe p. 5; 1584 Lawrance HAmar-vol9 p. 92; 1585 Larance StAnthonlin p. 31; 1586 Lawrence DEmar-vol2 p. 12; 1587 Lawrence ibid. p. 14; 1590 Laurence BUmar-vol9 p. 7, Lawrence COmar-vol2 p. 23, DEmar-vol2 p. 20; 1592 Lawrence ibid. p. 24; 1594 Lawrence bruton-vol1 p. 10; 1596 Lawrence DEmar-vol2 p. 34; 1597 Lawrance CAmar-vol1 p. 6
Estonia
Middle Low German
1426 Laurens BbRT p. 351; 1434 Laurens ibid. p. 356; 1436 Lauerens ibid. p. 358; 1443 Lauwrens ibid. p. 365
1524x1532 Laur (nom) Saareste1923b p. 137, Lauri (nom) ibid. p. 145; 1592 Laur Tiik1977 p. 286
Early Modern Swedish
1587 Larens (nom) Hiiumaa p. 56
1564 Laße (nom) Hiiumaa p. 48; 1565 Lars (gen) ibid. p. 48, Lawr (nom) ibid. p. 261; 1576 Lasse (nom) ibid. p. 48, Laur (nom) ibid. p. 56; 1577 Larß (nom) ibid. p. 56, Lasse (nom) ibid. p. 120; 1583 Larß (nom) ibid. p. 290, Lasse (nom) ibid. p. 48; 1584 Lars (nom) ibid. p. 56; 1587 Lassy (nom) ibid. p. 48; 1595 Laße (nom) ibid. p. 120; 1599 Lars (nom) ibid. p. 256
Finland
Early Modern Swedish
1548 Lars (gen) Audén1980 p. 168, Lasse (nom) ibid. p. 169; 1559 Lars (gen) ibid. p. 166; 1582 Larij (nom) ibid. p. 171, Lasze (nom) ibid. p. 171
France
Latin
1079x1101 Laurentio (abl) CartStPC XXXVII; 1080x1105 Laurentius (nom) StVdM-II 699; 1101x1129 Laurentio (abl) CartStPC XXVIII, Laurentius (nom) ibid. XXVI; 1115x1149 Laurentius (nom) ibid. X; c1138 Laurentii (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CL; 1147 Laurentio (abl) CartNDSaintes XXV; c1150 Laurencii (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CXIII; 1171 Laurentius (nom) clairvaux-12thc 141; 1179 Laurentio (abl) ibid. 178, Laurentius (nom) ibid. 178; 1258 Laurencio (abl) ArrestReg-volI XII, BMV, Laurentius (nom) ibid. XII, BMV; 1301 Laurentii (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 208, Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 207; 1350 Laurencio (dat) SDHK no. 6035, Laurensii (gen) ibid. no. 6017; 1378 Laurencius (nom) hanquetvol1 no. 85, Laurentio (dat) ibid. 481, Laurentius (nom) ibid. 1291
Old French
1296 Lorenz paris1296 p. 28; 1301 Leurens (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 335 [p. 235], Leurent (obl) ibid. p. 286; 1313 Lorens Paris1313 p. 13, Lorent ibid. p. 63, Lorenz ibid. p. 2
1296 Lorencin paris1296 p. 54; 1313 Lorencin Paris1313 p. 58
Middle French
1388 Laurent thierry; 1392 Lorens MemBret-II col. 598; 1418 Laurens HGParis p. 373; 1421 Laurens favier 161, Lorens ibid. 315; 1423 Laurens ibid. 243, Lorin ibid. 95; 1438 Laurens ibid. 5, Lorens ibid. 185
1421 Lorin favier 325; 1438 Laurentin ibid. 84, Lorin ibid. 564
Germany
Latin
1249 Laurentius (nom) hennes-vol1 132; 1401 laurencij (gen) HD1401 no. 337; 1497 Laurencii (gen) Nurn1497 p. 67
Early New High German
1400 Laurenzens (gen) mairhofer DCLXVII; 1497 Lorentz Nurn1497 p. 2
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Laurentius (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 5; 1216x1272 Laurencio (abl) POSDu VII
Italy
Latin
1265x1339 Laurencii (gen) BBC-Berg 91; 1300 Laurencii (gen) ActDipVeneto-I-1 p. 50, Laurencium (acc) ibid. p. 50; 1301 Laurencio (abl) ibid. p. 51; 1307 Laurencius (nom) BBC-Berg p. XLVI; 1348 Laurentii (gen) INP 18, Laurentio (abl) ibid. 11, Laurentium (acc) ibid. 3, Laurentius (nom) ibid. 3; 1376 Laurencio (abl) DouGen1 p. 32; 1522x1532 Laurencius (nom) DSF p. 51, 12; 1527 Laurentij (gen) Rome1527 p. 84, Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 84
1326 Rensi (gen) Friuli-14thC no. 423; 1348 Rentii (gen) INP 21, Rentio (dat) ibid. 18, Rentium (acc) ibid. 12; 1522x1532 Rencius (nom) DSF p. 54, 52; 1527 Rentij (gen) Rome1527 p. 90
Latvia
Latin
1299 Laurencii (gen) RigSB 364; 1301 Laurencio (dat) ibid. 312
Middle Low German
1465 Laurentz Mettig1892 p. 7; 1511 Laurenß ibid. p. 11; 1523 Laurens Arbusow p. 100; 1524 Laurens ibid. p. 99; 1532 Laurens ibid. p. 97; 1540 Laurens ibid. p. 98; 1542 Laurentcz ibid. p. 99; 1549 Laurencz ibid. p. 100; 1558 Labrentcze Arbuzov1920 p. 46; 1582x1594 Labrens ibid. p. 47
1452 Lassen (gen) Arbusow p. 97
Lithuania
Polish
1551x1555 Lawrina Kaunas2006 p. 85
Malta
Latin
1499 Laurentius (nom) Attard1499 p. 115
The Netherlands
Dutch
1566 Lauris MagMiddelburg-1560; 1567 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1568 Laurens ibid.; 1569 Laurens ibid.; 1570 Laurens ibid.; 1571 Laurens ibid.; 1572 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1575 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1576 Lauris ibid.; 1578 Lauris ibid.; 1580 Laurens ibid.; 1581 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1582 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1583 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1584 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1585 Laurens ibid.; 1586 Laurens ibid.; 1587 Laurens ibid.; 1588 Laurens ibid.; 1589 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1590 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1591 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.; 1592 Laurens ibid., Lauris ibid.
Portugal
Latin
1179x1211 Laurentius (nom) PHGCRP-I no. 5; 1209 Laurentium (acc) ibid. no. 10, Laurentius (nom) ibid. no. 10; 1211 Laurentius (nom) ibid. no. 6; 1217 Laurentius (nom) ibid. no. 21; 1269 Laurentio (dat) ibid. no. 11
Scotland
Latin
1238 Laurentio (abl) CartLevenax p. 13; 1376 Laurencii (gen) morton-vol1 16, Laurencio (dat) ibid. 16, Laurenti (gen) ibid. 16; 1578 Laurencius (nom) ibid. 15
Spain
Latin
1276 Laurencius (nom) CDGH XLVI, Laurentio (dat) ibid. XLVI, Laurentius (nom) ibid. XLVI, laurentii (gen) ibid. XLVI; 1487 Laurentii (gen) carbonell p. 12, Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 10; 1488 Laurentii (gen) ibid. p. 15; 1490 Laurentii (gen) ibid. p. 43, Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 43; 1491 Laurentii (gen) ibid. p. 56, Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 56; 1492 Laurentii (gen) ibid. p. 67, Laurentius (nom) ibid. p. 66
Catalan
1510 Lorens valencia1510 1767, Lorenç ibid. 3248
Sweden
Latin
1251 Laurentio (abl) CDL-1.1.1 XXII; 1350 Laurencii (gen) SDHK no. 6015, Laurencius (nom) ibid. no. 6002, Laurentz (nom) ibid. no. 6046; 1383 Laurencii (gen) SRA-vol2 no. 1901, Laurencius (nom) ibid. no. 1901
Old Swedish
1383 Laffrenz SRA-vol2 no. 1925, Lafrinz ibid. no. 1900, Laufrins ibid. no. 1911, Laurens ibid. no. 1907, Laurins ibid. no. 1903, Laurinz ibid. no. 1922, Lauris (gen) ibid. no. 1933
Early Modern Swedish
1543 Larrens (nom) Audén1980 p. 163
1543 Lars (nom) Audén1980 p. 162
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Laurence". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Laurence.