Origins of the Lewis surname

What does the name Lewis mean?

Lewis is a relatively common name, most popular in Wales, where it is the sixth most prevalent in the country. The surname Lewis remains in wide usage across the Anglosphere (it is the 22nd most common in England, 24th in the United States, 61st in Canada and 129th in Scotland). Lewis is supposed to have a number of origins, but believed to be mostly patronymic. The origin in Wales is believed to stem from an anglicisation of the Welsh name Llewelyn, and in England as a patronymic stemming from the Norman and French names Louis, Lowis and Clovis. More rarely the name Lewis can be an adaptation of some Jewish surnames like Levi and Levy.

Alternative variations of the name Lewis

Lewis, Lewes, Lues, Lewiss, Lews

Start free trial
I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
SS
Stuart
Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Lewises.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Lewis family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1298North West 2457Isle of Man 69Yorkshire 2231East Midlands 786West Midlands 3486East 2506London 11366South East 4655South West 25711South Wales 7837Mid Wales 5631West Wales 857North Wales 1132Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Lewises lived in south-west

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Lewis

How common is your surname?

30th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Lewis surname. The oldest one dates back to 1538.

Who were Lewises most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Lewises.

What are the most common Lewis first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Lewis family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Lewises

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Lewises in 1921

Dressmaker

4,374

Domestic Servant

2,211

General Servant Domestic

2,161

House Servant

1,971

Laundress

1,818

Commmon male occupations for Lewises in 1921

Coal Miner

6,120

Farmer

4,320

Coal Miner Hewer

3,156

Agricultural Labourer

2,668

General Labourer

2,614

We found over 870,000 family trees with the Lewis surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Lewises.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Learn more about the lives of Lewis family members

Share your discoveries

Share to WhatsApp

Share to Facebook

Look for a different surname

Paper tear line

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search