Lawton is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Alexander Lawton (1818–1896), division commander in the American Civil War
• April Lawton (1948–2006), musician and graphic designer
• Barbara Lawton (born 1951), American politician
• Ben Lawton (1922–1987), American surgeon and healthcare activist
• Charlwood Lawton (1660–1721), radical British lawyer turned Jacobite
• Edward Thaddeus Lawton (1913–1966), American-born Catholic bishop in Nigeria
• Sir Frederick Lawton (judge) (1911–2001), English judge
• Geoff Lawton (born 1954), Australian permaculturist
• Harold Lawton (1899–2005), British scholar
• Harry Lawton (1927–2005), American author and novelist
• Hattie Lawton (1837–?), American detective and Civil War spy
• Henry Ware Lawton (1843–1899), US Army officer
• J. F. Lawton (born 1960), American writer, producer and director
• James Lawton (1943–2018), British sports journalist
• Jimmy Lawton (born 1942), English footballer
• John William Magarey Lawton (born 1939) Australian immunologist in Hong Kong
• Sir John Lawton (biologist) (born 1943), British scientist and chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
• John Lawton (footballer) (1936–2017), English footballer
• John Lawton (musician) (1946–2021), British rock and roll singer
• Joseph Lawton (1857–1934), New Zealand cricketer
• Kayne Lawton (born 1989), Australian Rugby League player
• Lancelot Lawton (1880–1947), British historian, military officer, scholar of Ukrainian studies
• Larry Lawton (born 1961), American ex-con motivational speaker
• Linda Lawton British cyanobacteria and water safety researcher
• Matt Lawton (born 1971), American baseball player
• Russ Lawton, American drummer
• Scott Lawton (conductor) (born 1960), American conductor
• Stefanie Lawton (born 1980), Canadian curler
• Tina Lawton (1944–1968), South Australian folk singer
• Tommy Lawton (1919–1996), English footballer
• Captain Wilbur Lawton (1879–1917), pseudonym of author John Henry Goldfrap
• Will Lawton (born 1974), British musician

• Corinne Lawton Mackall (1880–1955), American painter, humanitarian, and gardener

• Laughton (disambiguation)