Lewis

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Lewis

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Lewis is the English form of Louis, the French form of the Germanic name, Hludwig (or Chlodovech, or Chlodowig) It originally meant “Famous Warrior” from “hlud” (famous), and “wig” (warrior).

History:
When Louis crossed to England with the Normans in 1066 it was anglicized as Lewis, and the surname came to be spelled that way. Later, Louis became the more popular spelling for the first name.

Please see Louis for more information.

Pronunciation: loo-iss.

Diminutives: Lew.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Lewis Wallace (1827-1905)
American author of Ben-Hur.
Lewis Wickes Hine (1874-1940)
American photographer.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon (James Leslie Mitchell) (1901-1935)
Scottish novelist.
Lewis Nkosi (1936-)
South African author.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Lewis Edwards (1809-1887)
Welsh educator.
Lewis Edward Lawes (1883-1947)
American prison reformer.
Sir Lewis Bernstein Namier (Ludwik Berstein Niemirowski) (1888-1960)
British historian.

Miscellaneous:
Lewis B. Combs (1895-1996)
American admiral.

Political Figures:
Lewis Cass (1782-1866)
American politician.
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (1907-1998)
Associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Scientists:
Lewis Morris Rutherfurd (1816-1892)
American astrophysicist.
Lewis Boss (1846-1912)
American astronomer.
Lewis Ralph Jones (1864-1945)
American botanist.
Lewis M. Terman (1877-1956)
American psychologist.
Lewis Fry Richardson (1881-1953)
British physicist.
Lewis Thomas (1913-1883)
American physician.

Singers and Entertainers:
Lewis Theobald (1688-1744)
English actor.
Lew Grade, Baron of Elstree (1906-1998)
Russian-British producer of theater, television, and film.
Lewis Ayer (1908-1996)
American actor.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.099 % named Lewis

Popularity of Lewis:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 23rd most popular.
1850: 23rd most popular.
1875: 28th most popular.
1900-1910: 72nd most popular.
1910-1920: 68th most popular.
1920-1930: 82nd most popular.
1930-1940: 103rd most popular.
1940-1950: 119th most popular.
1950-1960: 176th most popular.
1960-1970: 235th most popular.
1970-1980: 280th most popular.
1980-1990: 350th most popular.
1990: 408th most popular.
1991: 405th most popular.
1992: 419th most popular.
1993: 473rd most popular.
1994: 491st most popular.
1995: 528th most popular.
1996: 495th most popular.
1997: 544th most popular.
1998: 571st most popular.
1999: 519th most popular.
2000: 577th most popular.
2001: 598th most popular.
2002: 595th most popular.
2003: 640th most popular.