boy's name
Lewis
LOO-iss
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 252,727
the United States
#433
2025 births
Lewis is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "famous warrior," the English form of Louis. It ranks 28th in Scotland, where the Hebridean island of Lewis gives it a second life the rest of Britain does not have.
- Lewis is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 2,731 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 4,505 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lewis over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,341 |
| 1890s | 3,715 |
| 1900s | 4,060 |
| 1910s | 17,911 |
| 1920s | 25,491 |
| 1930s | 20,143 |
| 1940s | 21,040 |
| 1950s | 18,214 |
| 1960s | 11,768 |
| 1970s | 7,600 |
| 1980s | 5,900 |
| 1990s | 4,533 |
| 2000s | 3,430 |
| 2010s | 4,552 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,938 |
What Lewis means
Lewis means famous warrior, from Germanic elements meaning fame and battle. The sense has been stable across every form the name has taken — Chlodovech, Ludwig, Louis, Luigi and Lewis all carry it.
Where Lewis comes from
Lewis is the English adaptation of the French Louis, itself from the Frankish Chlodovech, from hlud, famous or loud, and wig, battle or war. Chlodovech was the name of the first king to unite the Franks, baptized around 500, and it became the standard royal name of France in the form Louis, borne by eighteen kings. English speakers had the name from the Norman period and spelled it as they said it. Scotland's use is complicated by Lewis, the northern part of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, whose name is unrelated and comes from the Gaelic Leòdhas, generally read as marshy. The two are separate, but the island keeps the spelling familiar in Scotland in a way it is not elsewhere, and Lewis Capaldi has done nothing to slow that. Lewis is also long established as a Welsh and Jewish surname, in the latter case as an anglicization of Levi.
Lewis in use
Lewis ranks 28th in Scotland with 136 births in 2024, well ahead of its 232nd in England and Wales and 140th in Northern Ireland. Our records mark it reviving with an earlier peak in 1921 and carry it from 1880. It also holds 255th in France, though there the competition is Louis itself, which is a top-ten French name.
How popular is Lewis?
In 2025, Lewis was given to 736 babies in the United States, ranking #433 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Lewis is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Lewis is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Léwis | Léwis is a rare spelling of Lewis, written with an acute accent and recorded about 95 times, mostly in France. | 95 |
| Lewïs | Lewïs is a rare spelling of Lewis, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Lewis
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lewis also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lewis over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Lewis
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Lewis in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Lewis
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lewis — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lewis
What does the name Lewis mean?
Lewis means "famous warrior," from Germanic elements meaning fame and battle.
Is Lewis the same name as Louis?
Yes. Lewis is the English form and reflects how the French Louis was pronounced by English speakers.
Is Lewis named after the Scottish island?
No, but the island keeps the name familiar in Scotland, where it ranks far higher than elsewhere in Britain.
How do you pronounce Lewis?
LOO-iss, with the s sounded — unlike the French Louis, where it is silent.
How popular is the name Lewis?
In 2025, Lewis was given to 736 babies in the United States, ranking #433 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Lewis a girl's or a boy's name?
Lewis is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lewis?
Lewis has 2 syllables.
When was Lewis most popular?
Lewis peaked in 1921, when 2,731 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Lewis?
Lewis is usually shortened to Lew.
Is Lewis a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lewis currently ranks #28 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.