Find out how popular the last name Lew is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lew.

Lew, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lew in America

Lew is the 4775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lew surname appeared 7,410 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lew to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lew

The surname LEW originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "leod," meaning "people" or "nation." The name likely referred to a person who was a leader or chieftain among their community.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there are several entries for individuals with the surname LEW or similar spellings, such as Lew, Lewe, and Lewen. These records indicate that the name was already established in various parts of the country by the 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Nicholas Lew, a prominent knight who served under King Edward I in the late 13th century. He participated in several military campaigns and was granted lands in Hertfordshire for his service.

Another notable figure was John Lew, born around 1460, who was a Member of Parliament for the borough of Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire during the reign of King Henry VII. He was also a successful merchant and landowner in the region.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records related to the town of Lewes in East Sussex. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname LEW as a reference to their place of origin or residence in this area.

During the 17th century, a branch of the LEW family settled in the county of Somerset. One prominent member was Sir Richard Lew, born in 1635, who served as the High Sheriff of Somerset in 1677. He was a wealthy landowner and played an influential role in local affairs.

In the literary realm, John Lew, born in 1690, was a renowned poet and playwright. He is best known for his works exploring themes of love and nature, which were popular during the Augustan age of English literature.

As the centuries progressed, the LEW surname continued to be found throughout various regions of England, with individuals from this family making contributions in various fields, including politics, military service, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lew

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lew.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lew was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lew has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lew, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!