Lewan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Lewan surname comes from a Middle English given name Lefwine, which in turn comes from the Old English elements "leof," which meant "dear" or "beloved," and "wine," which meant "friend."

Early Origins of the Lewan family

The surname Lewan was first found in Shropshire where the family was anciently seated.

Early History of the Lewan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lewan research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1010, 1086, 1275, 1292, 1327, 1576, 1602, 1659, 1661, 1712 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Lewan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lewan Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Lewin, Lewins, Lewens, Lewinson and others.

Early Notables of the Lewan family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Justinian Lewyn (Lewen) knighted May 12, 1661; and John Lowin (1576-1659), an English actor, became associated with the theatrical world by 1602. Born in...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lewan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lewan migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Lewan or a variant listed above:

Lewan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Lewan, who arrived in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1743 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Lewan (post 1700) +

Jan Lewan (b. 1941), stage name of Jan Lewandowski, Polish-born, American songwriter and polka band leader; his infamous Ponzi schemes have been depicted in multiple films including Mystery of the Polka King (2007)
Taylor Curtis Lewan (b. 1991), American NFL football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)