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

Lewis, 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 Lewis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lewis in America

Lewis is the 29th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lewis surname appeared 531,781 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 180 people would have the surname Lewis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lewis 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 Lewis

The surname LEWIS originated in Britain, derived from the Old French personal name "Lew(i)s", which was the Norman form of the Germanic name "Hludwig" or "Chlodovech". This name comes from the elements "hlud" meaning "loud" or "famous" and "wig" meaning "war" or "warrior". The name was introduced to Britain after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instances of the LEWIS surname date back to the late 11th century in England. One of the earliest known bearers was Radulphus Leu(u)is, who was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was prevalent in various counties across England, including Shropshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the surname was also recorded in Wales, where it was likely adopted by those of Norman descent or by Welsh individuals who adopted the name. The earliest known record in Wales is of a Leuwys ap Gruffydd, who lived in Denbighshire in the late 13th century.

Throughout history, the LEWIS surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One of the most famous was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), the American explorer who led the Lewis and Clark Expedition across the western United States. Another notable bearer was C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), the renowned British writer and scholar best known for his Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series.

Other notable figures with the LEWIS surname include Carl Lewis (born 1961), the American Olympic track and field athlete; Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022), the American rock and roll pioneer; and Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951), the American novelist and playwright who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1930.

Over time, the LEWIS surname has evolved and been spelled in various ways, including Lewys, Leuwis, and Llewis, particularly in Wales. Additionally, some place names in Britain, such as Lewisham in London and Lewistown in Wales, are believed to have derived from the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lewis

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

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

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

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