Lewis is a surname in the English language. It has several independent origins.
One of the origins of the surname, in England and Wales, is from the Norman personal name Lowis, Lodovicus. This name is from the post-Classical Latin name Ludovicus, the Latinized form of the Germanic name Hlūtwīg, meaning "famed battle" (hlūt meaning "loud" or "famous" and wīg meaning "battle"). The name developed into the Old French Clovis, Clouis, and Louis. The name Lowis spread to England through the Normans.
In the United Kingdom, Lewis is most commonly associated with Wales, and is a common Welsh patronym. The name developed as an Anglicised or diminutive form of native Welsh names such as Llywelyn. Among the earliest examples being the Lewis family of Glamorgan in the 1540s. Other derivations include the Gaelic surname Mac Lughaidh, meaning "son of Lughaidh", which has also been Anglicised as Lewis. The surname Lewis is also an Anglicisation of several like-sounding Jewish surnames, which cited for the surname "Lewis". such as Levy or Levi, or Los, Łoś, and of the Arab form of the name Elias.
In 2014, Lewis was the fourth most common surname in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sixth most common surname in Wales, 16th most common in Jamaica, 22nd most common in England, 24th most common in the United States, 61st most common in Canada and 129th most common in Scotland. Retrieved 20 January 2014
Real people
Business Aylwin Lewis (born 1954), American CEO Dewi Lewis (born 1951), Welsh publisher and photographer Essington Lewis (1881–1961), Australian businessman J. Slater Lewis (1852–1901), English executive Jeremy Lewis (born 1969), American businessman Ken Lewis (born 1947), head of Bank of America Marianne W. Lewis, American academic, former dean of the Cass Business School Mary Jane Lewis (1852–1941), New Zealand brewery manager Peter B. Lewis (1933–2013), American businessman Reginald Lewis (1942–1993), American businessman Robert Benjamin Lewis (1802–1858), African-American entrepreneur Sage Frederick Lewis (born 1971), American homelessness activist, author, and small business owner Simon Lewis (born 1959), British political consultant, communications advisor, chief executive Will Lewis (born 1969), British media executive
Economics Joe Lewis (British businessman) (born 1937), wealthy English investor Martin Lewis (financial journalist) (born 1972), English money expert Tracy R. Lewis, American economist W. Arthur Lewis (1915–1991), St Lucian economist, winner of the Bank of Sweden Prize 1979
Law Bayan Lewis (born 1942), Los Angeles police chief Sir George Lewis, 1st Baronet (1833–1911), English lawyer of Jewish extraction James W. Lewis, American convicted in relation to the 1982 Tylenol scare Johnnie Lewis (1946–2015), Liberian judge R. Fred Lewis (born 1947), American judge Seth Lewis (1764–1848), American lawyer and judge Terry Lewis (Queensland) (1928–2023), Queensland police commissioner Theodore G. Lewis (1890–1934), American judge Virginia Emerson Lewis (died 1984), American political scientist and legal scholar William Draper Lewis (1867–1949), American legal scholar
Literature Alfred Henry Lewis (1855–1914), editor of Chicago Times and author Alun Lewis (1915–1944), poet of the Anglo-Welsh school Anthony Lewis (1927–2013), American writer Beverly Lewis (born 1949), American Christian fiction novelist and children's author C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), Irish academic and writer Cecil Day-Lewis (1904–1972), Irish poet Charles Lewis (journalist) (born 1953), American founder of the Center for Public Integrity D. B. Wyndham-Lewis (1891–1969), British columnist and literary editor Edna Lewis (1916–2006), American cook and writer Edward Gardner Lewis (1869–1950), American publisher Eiluned Lewis (1900–1979), Welsh writer
Hilda Lewis (1896–1974), British writer Janet Lewis (1899–1998), American writer Janet Cook Lewis (1855–1947), American librarian and book repairer Linda Lewis (author), British author Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775–1818), British Gothic novelist Michael Lewis (born 1960), American non-fiction author Miles Marshall Lewis (born 1970), American writer Naomi Lewis (1911–2009), British poet and children's writer Richard W. Lewis (1917–2002), American literary critic and biographer Roger Lewis (biographer) (born 1960), British biographer Rose Mabel Lewis (1853–1928), Welsh writer and suffragist Saunders Lewis (1893–1985), Welsh writer Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951), American novelist Ted Lewis (writer) (1940–1982), English crime novelist Titus Lewis (1773–1811), Welsh Calvinist and writer Warren Lewis (1895–1973), brother of C. S. Lewis Wendy Lewis (born 1962), Australian author Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957), American-British modernist artist and writer
Military Andrew Lewis (soldier) (1720–1781), Virginia general Andrew Lloyd Lewis (born 1963), American admiral Cecil Arthur Lewis (1898–1997), British military aviator Gwilym Hugh Lewis (1897–1996), British military aviator Isaac Newton Lewis (1858–1931), American soldier and inventor of the Lewis Gun Jack H. Lewis, United States Navy submarine commander in World War II Joseph Horace Lewis (1824–1904), Confederate Brigadier General Michael Lewis (naval historian) (1890–1970), Professor at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich Milton Lewis (1920–1942), United States Marine Corps recipient of the Navy Cross Robert A. Lewis (1917–1983), co-pilot on the Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima Robert Patrick Lewis, former Green Beret and 1st Amendment Praetorian co-founder Thomas Lewis (RAF officer) (1894–1961), British aviator William Gaston Lewis (1835–1901), Confederate General
Modelling Ananda Lewis (1973–2025), American model Damaris Lewis (born 1990), American model/dancer Denice D. Lewis (born 1960), American model and actor Donny Lewis (born 1976), American model Nancy Lewis (bodybuilder), American female bodybuilder
Music Aaron Lewis (born 1972), American singer Andrew Lewis (composer) (born 1963), English composer of acousmatic music Andy Lewis (bassist) (1966–2000), Australian musician Ann Lewis (born 1956), Japanese singer Archie Lewis (1918–1988), Jamaican singer Barbara Lewis (born 1943), American singer Blake Lewis (born 1981), Season six on American Idol Bob Lewis (musician) (born 1947), musician Bobby Lewis (1925–2020), American R&B singer Charles D. Lewis (born 1955), Barbadian bassist, singer-songwriter, producer Courtney Lewis (conductor) (born 1984), British conductor C.J. Lewis (born 1967) British reggae singer Donna Lewis (born 1973), Welsh singer-songwriter Edward Lewis (Decca) (1900–1980), founder of Decca Records Edythe Lewis (1924–2014), American DJ and politician Ephraim Lewis (1967–1994), English soul and R&B singer and songwriter Furry Lewis (1893–1981), American blues guitarist Gary Lewis (musician) (born 1945), American musician George Lewis (clarinetist) (1900–1968), New Orleans jazz musician George E. Lewis (born 1952), jazz trombone player and composer Glenn Lewis (born 1975), Canadian singer Herbie Lewis (musician) (1941–2007), American jazz bassist Huey Lewis (born 1950), American musician and singer Jayce Lewis (born 1984), Welsh Musician/Solo Artist Jeannie Lewis (born 1945), Australian musician Jeffrey Lewis (born 1975), American singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis (born 1976 or 1977), American singer Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–2022), American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist John Lewis (pianist) (1920–2001), the jazz pianist Jon Peter Lewis (born 1979), American singer Jona Lewie (born 1947), English singer Josh Lewis (guitarist) (born 1967), American guitarist Laurie Lewis (born 1950), American bluegrass musician Leona Lewis (born 1985), English singer Linda Lewis (1950–2023), British singer Linda Gail Lewis (born 1947), American musician Lori Lewis (born 1972), American opera singer Mary Lewis (soprano) (1900–1941), American soprano and actress Meade Lux Lewis (1905–1964), American pianist and composer Mel Lewis (1929–1990), American jazz drummer Mike Lewis (musician) (born 1977), Welsh guitarist for Lostprophets Mingo Lewis (1953–2026), American percussionist and drummer Morgan Lewis (songwriter) (1906–1968), American songwriter Noah Lewis (1891–1961), American jug band musician Oliver Lewis (violinist) (born 1971), British violinist Olivia Lewis (born 1978), Maltese singer Peter Scott Lewis (born 1953), American composer Phil Lewis (born 1957), English-American singer Ramsey Lewis (1935–2022), American jazz pianist and composer Ray Lewis (singer), singer for The Drifters Richard Lewis (tenor) (1914–1990), English tenor Richard Lewis (musician), American musician and member of Beatles tributes The Fab Four and Liverpool Legends Ryan Lewis (born 1988), American musician and producer, frequent collaborator with Macklemore and part of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Sarah-Jane Lewis (born 1987), English soprano Shaznay Lewis (born 1975), English singer-songwriter Smiley Lewis (1913–1966), musician Steve Lewis (musician) (1896 – c. 1941), American jazz pianist Ted Lewis (musician) (1890–1971), American band leader Terence Lewis (choreographer) (born 1975), Indian dancer and choreographer Tom Lewis (songwriter) (born 1943), Canadian folksinger/songwriter Yvonne John Lewis, English singer
Philosophy Clarence Irving Lewis (1883–1964), philosopher and mathematical logician David Lewis (philosopher) (1941–2001), American philosopher Hywel David Lewis (1910–1992), Welsh philosopher and theologian Michael Lewis (philosopher) (born 1977), British philosopher
Politics Andrew L. Lewis Jr. (1931–2016), American politician Ann Lewis (born 1937), American political advisor Anna Lewis (suffragette) (1899–1976), British suffragette, recipient of Hunger Strike Medal Arthur Lewis (English politician) (1917–1998), MP for Newham, North West Arthur Morrow Lewis (1873–1922, American socialist and rationalist lecturer and writer Avi Lewis (born May 1968), Canadian television journalist, documentary filmmaker, and politician, son of Stephen Lewis, grandson of David Lewis, great-grandson of Morris Lewis B. Robert Lewis (1931–1979), American veterinarian and politician Burton B. Lewis (1856–1938), American cheese manufacturer and politician Clive Derby-Lewis (1936–2016), South African politician Daurene Lewis (1943–2013), Canadian politician David Lewis (Canadian politician) (1909–1981), Russian-born Canadian lawyer and politician David P. Lewis (1820–1884), American politician David R. Lewis (born 1971), American politician Delano Lewis (1938–2023), American attorney, businessman and diplomat Dixon Hall Lewis (1802–1848), American politician Doug Lewis (born 1938), Canadian politician Drew Lewis (1931–2016) American, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Edmund H. Lewis (1884–1972), Chief Judge of the NY Court of Appeals 1953–1954 Elliott Lewis (politician) (1858–1935), Australian politician Elisha Lewis (died 1867), American politician Eugene Lewis (c. 1940–2024), American political scientist Evan Lewis (politician) (1869–1941), American politician Fielding Lewis (1725–1781), brother-in-law of George Washington Francis Lewis (1713–1802), American merchant and politician Fred E. Lewis (1865–1949), US Congressman from Pennsylvania and Mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania Geordin Hill-Lewis (born 1986), South African politician, mayor of Cape Town George Cornewall Lewis (1806–1863), British statesman J. Hamilton Lewis (1863–1939), American politician Helmar Lewis (1900–1999), American politician Herbert Lewis (politician) (1858–1933), British politician Ivan Lewis (born 1967), British politician James A. Lewis (politician) (1933–1997), American libertarian politician James T. Lewis (1819–1904), politician Jerry Lewis (California politician) (1934–2021), American politician Joan Lewis, American politician