Contents [hide]

Louis History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Louis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Wales
Ireland

The proud Louis surname is from the personal name Lewis, an Anglicized form of the Welsh name Llewellyn. This name is often explained as meaning "lion-like," but is in fact probably derived from the Welsh word "llyw," which means "leader." Alternatively, the name Lewis is also an Anglo-French form of the Old Frankish name Hludwig, which means "loud battle."

Early Origins of the Louis family

The surname Louis was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where the family held a seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Louis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Louis research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1616, 1625, 1627, 1640, 1650, 1660, 1661, 1664, 1669, 1674, 1675, 1677, 1679, 1690, 1699, 1706 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Louis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Louis Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Louis have included Lewis, Lewiss, Lewess, Lews, Llewys, Llewis, Lewwis, Llewess and many more.

Early Notables of the Louis family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir William Lewis, 1st Baronet (1598-1677), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1677; William Lewis (1625-1661), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660; Richard Lewis (c 1627-1706), an English landowner and...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Louis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Louis World Ranking

In the United States, the name Louis is the 1,629^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Louis is ranked the 917^th most popular surname. 2 And in France, the name Louis is the 105^th popular surname with an estimated 27,254 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Louis family to Ireland

Some of the Louis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Louis migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Louis:

Louis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jean Louis, who arrived in South Carolina in 1755 4
Adam Louis, who arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1782 4
Andrew Louis, who landed in New York in 1798 4

Louis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Caroline Louis, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 4
Nicol Louis, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 4
I Louis, aged 44, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 4
Etienne Louis, who landed in New York, NY in 1835 4
John Philip Louis, aged 25, who arrived in Missouri in 1842 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Louis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

E M Louis, who arrived in Pike County, Ind in 1900 4

Louis migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Louis Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Le Petit Louis, who landed in Montreal in 1666

Louis Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thierry Louis, son of Jean and Anne, who married Madeleine Cluseau, daughter of Jean and Anne, in Quebec on 24th November 1738 5
Louis Louis, who arrived in Montreal in 1747
François Louis, son of Antoine and Marguerite, who married Marie-Françoise Bourdeau, daughter of Isaac and Marie-Françoise, in Chambly, Quebec on 1st July 1748 5
Jacques Louis, son of François and Thérèse, who married Marie-Anne Bigeot, daughter of René and Marie-Anne, in Montreal, Quebec on 20th November 1758 5

Louis migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Louis Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Louis, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Louis migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Louis Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Louis, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th December 1861 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Louis (post 1700) +

Murray Louis (1926-2016), American modern dancer and choreographer who created two works for Rudolph Nureyev
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis -Dreyfus (1961-1989), American seven-time Emmy Award winning actress, comedienne and producer, best known for her work on the comedy series Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Morris Louis (1912-1962), American painter
Virgie L. Louis, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 1996 8
Peretha Meredith Louis, American Republican politician, Candidate for Missouri State House of Representatives from St. Louis City 10th District, 1964 8
John Jeffry Louis Jr. (1925-1995), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, 1981-83 8
Mrs. John J. Louis, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1936 8
David R. Louis, American politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 18th Circuit, 1954-59; Defeated, 1959 8
Joseph T. St. Louis, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Waterbury; Elected 1926 9
Carol St. Louis, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 2000 (alternate), 2004 9
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Louis Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Patriae fidus
Motto Translation: Faithful to my country.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html