Where did the name Lewis come from? What is their coat of arms? When did the Lewis family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

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Coat of Arms > Lewis Coat of Arms

Lewis Coat of Arms and Name History

Lewis

Origin Displayed: Welsh-Alt

Origins Available: Welsh-Alt, Welsh

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lewis, Lewiss, Lewess, Lews, Llewys, Llewis, Lewwis, Llewess and many more.

First found in Glamorganshire , where the family held a seat from ancient times.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Robert Lewis, who emigrated from Wales to Virginia in 1638; Abigail Lewis, who came to Maryland in 1659; Owen Lewis, who immigrated to Virginia in 1667.

Suggested Readings for the name Lewis
Daybreak on Old Fortification Creek: A History of John Lewis by Glenn Hodges, The Family of John Lewis, Pioneer by Irvin Frazier, Genealogy of the James W. Lewis-Susan Clemmer Family by Dr. Thomas Ferrell.

Some noteworthy people of the name Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis (b. 1935), American, famous musician from Louisiana who is one of the ten charter members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951), American novelist who won the Nobel Prize in literature for his novel "Arrowsmith"
Edward B Lewis (b. 1918), American geneticist who won the Nobel Prize in physiology for his discovery of the control genes which convert a species' simple embryo into a complex organism, with its specialized body parts
Idawalley Zoradia Lewis (1842-1911), American lighthouse keeper
Frederick Lewis, American long jumper
Carl Lewis (b. 1961), American track and field athlete, 9 time Olympic champion, 8 time World Champion
Gilbert Newton Lewis (1875-1946), American physical chemist
John Llewellyn Lewis (1880-1969), American Labour leader
Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951), American novelist
Alun Lewis (1915-1944), Welsh army lieutenant who wrote poetry and short stories about army life
Mel Lewis (1929-1990), jazz musician
Francis Lewis (1713-1802), Welsh signer of Declaration of Independence
Sir William Arthur Lewis (b. 1915), Saint Lucian economist, winner of the 1979 Nobel Prize in Economics becoming the first black person to win a Nobel Prize in a category other than peace
Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963), Irish academic and writer, best known for his works: "The Screwtape Letters", "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Space Trilogy"
Sir George Cornewall Lewis (1806-1863), English statesman
Hywel David Lewis (b. 1910), Welsh philosopher
Richard Lewis (1807-1831), Welsh folk hero
Saunders Lewis (1893-1985), Welsh poet, dramatist, historian, literary critic
Sir Thomas Lewis (1881-1945), Welsh cardiologist