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Lewis (surname)

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For other uses, see Lewis.
Lewis
PronunciationLewis
Origin
Word/nameseveral origins
Region of originNormandy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales.
Other names
Related namesLewes, Louis, Luis

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 composed of the Germanic elements hlod and wig, meaning "fame" and "war". The name developed into the Old French Clovis, Clouis, Louis; as well as into the German Ludwig. The name Lowis spread to England through the Normans. Lewis has since become confused with other unrelated names. One such name is Llywelyn in Welsh which has been Anglicised into Lewis, with among the earliest examples being the Lewis family of Glamorgan in the 1540s.[1] Another is 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,[2] such as "Levy" or "Levi", and of the Arab form of the name "Elias".

Lewis is the 4th most common surname in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 6th most common surname in Wales, 22nd most common in England, 24th most common in the United States, 129th most common in Scotland, .[3]

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References

  1. ^ The National Library of Wales
  2. ^ "Learn about the family history of your surname". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 10 October 2010. which cited Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4. for the surname "Lewis".
  3. ^ "Lewis Surname Meaning". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2014
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