2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lewien
A surname derived from a place name related to "Löwen" or "lion" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Lewien. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lewien 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Lewien in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewien, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lewien
The surname Lewien is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Saxony, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "lewe," meaning "lion," which was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who displayed lion-like characteristics or bravery in battle.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Lewien surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. This record notes a certain "Heinricus Lewien" who lived in the town of Meissen, Saxony, around the year 1180.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval manuscripts and records, such as the Urdenbücher of Freiberg, where a "Conradus Lewien" is listed as a citizen of the town in 1265. The name is also found in the Urkundenbuch des Klosters Altzelle, which mentions a "Johannes Lewien" as a landowner in the village of Zella in 1287.
During the 14th century, the Lewien name spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in regions like Bavaria and Hesse. One notable figure from this period was Hans Lewien, a merchant from Nuremberg who was active in the Hanseatic League trade network around 1370.
In the 15th century, the name Lewien appeared in various forms, such as "Lewin," "Lewynn," and "Leuwin," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. A prominent individual with this surname was Martin Lewien, a respected theologian and professor at the University of Leipzig, who lived from 1438 to 1511.
Another well-known figure bearing the Lewien surname was Johann Lewien, a German composer and organist from the 16th century. Born in 1537 in the town of Görlitz, Silesia, he composed several sacred works and served as the organist at the Kreuzkirche in Dresden.
As the surname spread throughout Germany and beyond, it also evolved into different forms, such as "Löwen," "Loewen," and "Löwien," reflecting the influence of regional dialects and linguistic changes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lewien
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewien, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lewien 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 Lewien surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lewien
Lewien 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,358 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 15,358 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 4,195 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 Lewien 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 | #149,395 | #153,590 | -2.8% |
| Count | 110 | 104 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lewien bearers went from 110 to 104 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 4,195 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #153,590.
FAQ
Lewien surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lewien?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Lewien. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Lewien?
Lewien ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Lewien. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lewien.
Has Lewien become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lewien went from 110 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Lewien?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewien, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Lewien in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lewien appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Lewien (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 Lewien mean?
A surname derived from a place name related to "Löwen" or "lion" in German. 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 Lewien (0.03 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 share the surname Lewien?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.