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

Lewe, 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 Lewe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lewe in America

Lewe is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lewe surname appeared 107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lewe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lewe 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 Lewe

The surname LEWE is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old High German word "lewo," meaning "lion." It is thought to have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who exhibited lion-like qualities, such as bravery, strength, or ferocity in battle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEWE can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Principality of Anhalt in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The name appears in a document dated 1248, referring to a certain "Henricus dictus Lewe" (Henry, called Lewe).

In the 14th century, the LEWE surname gained prominence in the region of Saxony, where it was associated with several notable figures. Johannes Lewe (1325-1399), a renowned scholar and theologian, served as the rector of the University of Leipzig and authored several influential works on canon law.

As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. In England, for instance, the surname was often rendered as "Lew" or "Lewe." One of the earliest recorded English bearers of the name was William Lewe, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1324.

The LEWE surname also found its way to the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Leeuw" or "Leuwen." In the 16th century, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), the famous Dutch painter and etcher, depicted a man named Lieven Willemsz van Leeuwen in one of his portraits.

In France, the name took on the form "Leu" or "Leul," and was particularly prevalent in the region of Alsace. One notable bearer of the name was Jean-Baptiste Leu (1742-1829), a French engraver and printmaker who was renowned for his intricate copperplate engravings.

As the centuries passed, the LEWE surname continued to spread across Europe and beyond, carried by merchants, soldiers, and settlers. While its origins may be rooted in the Germanic lands of old, the name has become a part of the rich tapestry of global heritage, representing the diverse cultures and histories that have shaped our modern world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lewe

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

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 Lewe 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 Lewe 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 Lewe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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