2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lewe
A surname likely derived from the Middle Low German word "lewe" meaning "lion".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Lewe. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lewe 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 Lewe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Lewe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewe, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%) and Two or More Races (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEWE can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Principality of Anhalt in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lewe
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewe, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%) and Two or More Races (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lewe 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 Lewe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.1% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander20.2% · 22
- Two or more races9.2% · 10
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lewe
Lewe 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,720 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,720 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Lewe 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lewe bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Lewe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lewe?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Lewe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Lewe?
Lewe ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Lewe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lewe.
Has Lewe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lewe went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Lewe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewe, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%) and Two or More Races (9.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lewe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.1% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lewe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%), Two or More Races (9.2%). 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 Lewe (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 Lewe mean?
A surname likely derived from the Middle Low German word "lewe" meaning "lion". 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 Lewe (0.04 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 last name Lewe?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Lewe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.