History of your Surname
Get access to Lewis family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Lewis Family History

Lewis Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English Old French personal name Lewis Leweis Lowis from ancient Germanic (originally West Frankish) Hludwig (itself from hlōd- ‘fame famous’ + wīg- ‘battle’). This was Latinized as Ludovicus and Chlodovisus which were gallicized as Clovis or Clouis French Louis. The name may also appear as Lawis Laweys Lawes by unrounding of the vowel of Lowis on the analogy of the variation between Low and Law as pet forms of Middle English Lourence alias Laurence. This surname is also very common among African Americans. See Laws 2 and compare Lawrence . Welsh: adopted for the Welsh personal name Llywelyn (see Llewellyn ). Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Lughaidh ‘son of Lughaidh’. This is one of the most common Old Irish personal names. It is derived from Lugh ‘brightness’ which was the name of a Celtic god. Americanized form of French Louis . Americanized form of various like-sounding Jewish surnames. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 廖 (see Liao ) 羅 (see Luo ) 劉 (see Liu ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Lewin, Levis, Clewis, Lein, Remis, Leis, Lees, Reis, Levin, Leys

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Lewis family from?

You can see how Lewis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lewis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lewis families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 1,207 Lewis families living in New York. This was about 18% of all the recorded Lewis's in USA. New York had the highest population of Lewis families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lewis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Lewis ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Lewis. 17% of Lewis men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Lewis women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lewis were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Lewis | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Lewis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Lewis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lewis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Lewis

Passenger Lists

There are 354,000 immigration records available for the last name Lewis. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Lewis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 540,000 military records available for the last name Lewis. For the veterans among your Lewis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lewis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lewis family history

Discover More

What is the average Lewis lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Lewis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Lewis in 1940 was 46, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lewis

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Lewis family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Lewis last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial