2000
#4,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,304
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.71
Rare Last name
Lew
A Chinese surname derived from the state of Lü, or an English surname referring to a sheltered place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,377 Americans carry the last name Lew. That puts it at #4,705 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lew surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,916
Census rank
#4,705
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,305 bearers of the surname Lew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4705th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.5%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lew
Among Census respondents with the surname Lew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.5%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lew bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander68.8% · 5,029
- White18.5% · 1,348
- Two or more races6.7% · 488
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 337
- Black or African American1.4% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lew
Lew appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,410
+106 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Down 311 places
2020
#4,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,305
-105 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 2.44
Rank movement Up 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,464 | 7,304 | 2.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,775 | 7,410 | 2.51 | +106 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 311 places |
| 2020 | #4,705 | 7,305 | 2.44 | -105 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 70 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lew surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,775 | #4,705 | 1.5% |
| Count | 7,410 | 7,305 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.51 | 2.44 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lew bearers went from 7,410 to 7,305 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,775 to #4,705.
FAQ
Lew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lew?
Name Census estimates that about 8,377 living Americans carry the surname Lew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,916 residents.
How common is Lew?
Lew ranks #4,705 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,305 people with the surname Lew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lew.
Has Lew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lew went from 7,410 recorded bearers to 7,305. That is a decrease of 105 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,775 to #4,705.
What does the Census say about the background of Lew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.5%) and Two or More Races (6.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.8% (5,029 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (68.8%), White (18.5%), Two or More Races (6.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lew (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lew mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the state of Lü, or an English surname referring to a sheltered place. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lew (2.44 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Lew?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.