Discover the origin of your name

What does your surname mean?

As every genealogist knows, we're all the product of our family's history. But genetics aren't the only thing that we pass down the generations. Used to identify our familial bonds, surnames link us to even our most distant ancestors. If your curious about your family history, doing a surname search is a great place to start.

The origin of your last name can reveal a lot about your earliest ancestors' birthplaces, occupations and more.

Look for your surname

Surname of the week

Lewis

If you meet a Lewis, tell them...

Lewis is a relatively common name, most popular in Wales, where it is the sixth most prevalent in the country. The surname Lewis remains in wide usage across the Anglosphere (it is the 22nd most common in England, 24th in the United States, 61st in Canada and 129th in Scotland). Lewis is supposed to have a number of origins, but believed to be mostly patronymic. The origin in Wales is believed to stem from an anglicisation of the Welsh name Llewelyn, and in England as a patronymic stemming from the Norman and French names Louis, Lowis and Clovis. More rarely the name Lewis can be an adaptation of some Jewish surnames like Levi and Levy.