Lew
Lew is the usual shortened form of Lewis or Llywelyn when they are used as first names in English.
- English
- Polish
Meaning & Origin of Lew
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lew is the usual shortened form of Lewis or Llywelyn when they are used as first names in English.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Polish
The Story of Lew
The earliest SSA record of Lew as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 20 babies received it. 1959 was its biggest year on record, with 55 newborns named Lew — #1,033 in the national rankings. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (12 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 2K Lews have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Lew
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Lew. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Lew
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lew is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lew
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About the name Lew
Lew is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Lew's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #1,033. Use the chart and map above to compare Lew's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.