Show ContentsLewin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Lewin 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 Lewin family

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

Early History of the Lewin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lewin 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 Lewin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lewin Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Lewin, Lewins, Lewens, Lewinson and others.

Early Notables of the Lewin 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 Lewin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lewin Ranking

In the United States, the name Lewin is the 6,536th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Lewin migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Lewin name or one of its variants:

Lewin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mary Lewin was recorded as having arrived in Virginia in 1638
  • Mary Lewin, who landed in Virginia in 1638 2
  • Philip Lewin, who landed in Maryland in 1659 2
  • William Lewin, who landed in Virginia in 1662 2
  • Thomas Lewin, who landed in Maryland in 1667 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lewin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Lewin, who arrived in New England in 1712 2
Lewin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Lewin, who landed in New York, NY in 1833 2
  • J Lewin, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 2
  • Fredrik Oscar Lewin, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1844 2
  • Clara Charlotta Lewin, aged 38, who arrived in New York in 1845 2
  • Paulina Lewin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lewin migration to Australia +

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

Lewin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Lewin, British Convict who was convicted in Rutland, East Midlands, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
  • Thomas Lewin, English convict from Leicester, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
  • Mr. Thomas Lewin, English convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • C. Lewin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1849 6
  • Mr. Frederick Lewin, British convict who was convicted in Rawalpindi (Rawalpindee), Punjab, Pakistan for 14 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th March 1863, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 7

Lewin 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:

Lewin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Albert Lewin, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 8
  • Matilda Lewin, aged 12, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 8
  • James Lewin, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
  • Mr. Alex Lewin, (b. 1857), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 9
  • Mrs. Mary E Lewin, (b. 1855), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Lewin (post 1700) +

  • Stuart Lewin, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Great Falls, Montana, 2011 10
  • Nettie Lewin, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1964 10
  • Louis Lewin, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 9th District, 1910 10
  • Kermit Lewin, American politician, Mayor of Key West, Florida, 1963-69 10
  • Herbert G. Lewin (1914-2010), American politician, Candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, 1950, 1958; Militant Workers Candidate for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1956 10
  • Edith LeWin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1996 10
  • Albert H. Lewin, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 20th District, 1942 10
  • Albert Lewin (1894-1968), American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter
  • Derek Lewin (1930-2019), English amateur international footballer
  • Pilot Officer Raymond Mayhew Lewin GC (1915-1941), British Air Force officer awarded the George Cross for the courage he showed in rescuing his co-pilot from their burning plane
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Frederick Guy Lewin, English 1st Class Passenger from Kingsbury, London, England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 11


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  4. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque WILLIAM WATSON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WilliamWatson.htm
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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