The Lew surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,410 people carried this name — #4,775 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 39,800 people counted. That is up 1% from 7,304 in 2000.

See Lew on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Lew surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the lew’.

An early record he cites: Alicia ate Lewe, Huntingdonshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Lew and Lewe.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 480 · public domain.

In Poland’s population register

1,069 people named Lew have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 1,176 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Subcarpathian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Subcarpathian 495
Lower Silesian 131
West Pomeranian 82
Greater Poland 68
Silesian 60
Pomeranian 47
Opole 40
Lesser Poland 37

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 262 people named Lew live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

City of Buenos Aires 183
Buenos Aires Province 67
Santa Fe 12

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 47 people named Lew.

Most of them — 29 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 29
Paris 15
Bouches-du-Rhône 1
Eure 1
Eure-et-Loir 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In print

Lew in American newspapers,
1904–1917.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Lew
The Birmingham Age-herald 1904-09-18
Newspaper page from The Butte Daily Post carrying the name Lew
The Butte Daily Post 1917-10-16
Newspaper page from The Washington Herald carrying the name Lew
The Washington Herald 1914-05-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,815 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Lew in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

22,546 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lew. The most, 4,518, date from the 1920s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 7,670
New South Wales 7,262
Queensland 2,692
South Australia 1,998
Western Australia 1,527
Tasmania 983
ACT (Canberra) 265
Northern Territory 74

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lew.

Who carried it

People named Lew,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Elizabeth Van Lew
    Elizabeth Van Lew 1818–1900 · spy
  • Harry Lew
    Harry Lew 1884–1963 · basketball player
  • Rudolf Lew
    Rudolf Lew 1898–1923 · military officer
  • William Edward Lew 1865–1949
  • Katharina Broczyner 1876–1940
  • Gerard Nelson Lew 1888–1965 · teacher

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Lew,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,075 records

1,075 records of the Lew name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 405
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 295
  • Other U.S. records 375
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Victor Walter Lew

    Born 1943; from Bonita, California. U.S. Army, infantry unit commander; killed in action 1971 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Sandy Lew

    Born 1917 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1941 at Los Angeles, California; salesperson. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1977, buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Gittel Lew

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Prinz Sigismund from Hamburg, aged 15; dressmaker. From Hanerwicz, Russia; bound for New York. Born in Lechowicz, Russia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,075 records for Lew in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada98 records

98 records of the Lew name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 86
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lim Fae King Lew

    Buried in 1985 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 74.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Yuet King Lew

    Died 1990, aged 53; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Chong Shee Lew

    Buried in 1974 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 98 records for Lew in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia93 records

93 records of the Lew name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 41
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 37
  • Other Australian records 15
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Lew

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the William Glen Anderson, sailing from London in 1831. Native of Surrey.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Danny Chee Lew

    Electrical mechanic of Caulfield North, Victoria; died 1967.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Lew

    Arrived in Victoria in 1915 aboard the St Albans, aged 43.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 93 records for Lew in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

France26 records

26 records of the Lew name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Berthe Lew

    Born 1901 in Paris; died 1988 in Beauchamp (Val-d'Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Leon Lew

    Born 1937 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône); died 2000 in Courcouronnes (Essonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Julia Lew

    Born 1919 in Poland; died 1990 in Pommérieux (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 26 records for Lew in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands12 records

12 records of the Lew name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sing Lew

    Married in 1938 in Amsterdam; shopkeeper.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Tse Kan Lew

    Died 1972 in Utrecht; born 1901 in Kwantung.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Mordko Markus Lew

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1876 in Bialystok.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Lew in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Lew name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eva Margaret Lew

    Died 1976, aged 72; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Don Shue Lew

    Died 1986, aged 92; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Lew name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Lew

    King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record S. Lew

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Lew name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gottfried Lew

    From Wopping, Niederb. Reported wounded in the Bavarian casualty list of 12 February 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 19).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Paul Lew

    From Weihmörting, Niederb. Reported wounded in the Bavarian casualty list of 27 September 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Lew.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Lew is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Lew volume
Scroll to Top