The Lewis surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 531,781 people carried this name — #29 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 555 people counted. That is up 4% from 509,930 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Lewis surname
An anglicization of Irish Lobhaois, itself from Old French Louis.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Lewis» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 51 births for the Lewis name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 340 people named Lewis 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 Chubut.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
268 people named Lewis live in Switzerland.
They live in 15 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 251 people named Lewis.
Most of them — 184 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 16 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
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
107 people named Lewis have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 288 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 46 people named Lewis live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Brussels-Capital.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
478 people named Lewis are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Lewis in American newspapers,
1895–1937.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,346,013 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Lewis,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Francis Lewis 1713–1802 · politician -
Betty Washington Lewis 1733–1797 -
Morgan Lewis 1754–1844 · judge -
Matthew Gregory Lewis 1775–1818 · writer -
Dixon Hall Lewis 1802–1848 · lawyer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 107 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Lewis.
- Levrier 156 · U.S. census
- Levron 353 · U.S. census
- Levy 37,228 · U.S. census
- Lewandowski 11,577 · U.S. census
- Lewicki 1,249 · U.S. census
- Lewin 5,088 · U.S. census
- Lewkowicz 473 · U.S. census
- Lex 1,049 · U.S. census
- Lexa 334 · U.S. census
- Ley 5,037 · U.S. census
- Leyendecker 884 · U.S. census
- Leyes 178 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Lewis 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.