Lew is a boy's name of Welsh origin, derived from the ancient British word "llaw" which means "leader". It was also the name of several early Welsh kings and chieftains, including Lew of Gwynedd who ruled in the 9th century.
The name Lew has been used throughout history, but it is not as common as some other names. It was not among the top 1000 most popular boy's names in the United States for several decades until recently, when it began to gain popularity again.
Today, Lew is still a relatively uncommon name, which can make it a unique choice for parents looking for something different for their son. Despite its rarity, Lew has a strong historical and cultural significance that makes it an appealing option for those who appreciate its meaning and origins.
The name Lew has a interesting history of popularity in the United States over the past century and a half. From 1880 to 1989, there were a total of 2,188 births with the first name Lew.
The name's peak popularity was during the early 1950s when it consistently had around 35 births per year between 1952 and 1956. The highest recorded birth count for the name Lew in a single year was 54, which occurred in 1957.
However, after the mid-1950s, the popularity of the name Lew began to decline steadily. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were fewer than 20 births per year with the name Lew. This trend continued into the 1980s, with only a handful of births each year.
Despite its decline in popularity, the name Lew has maintained a small but consistent presence among newborns in the United States even in recent years. For instance, there were 6 births recorded with the name Lew in 2016 and 5 in both 1992 and 2022. Additionally, there were 12 births with the name Lew in 2023.
This statistical analysis illustrates how trends in baby naming can shift over time, with some names becoming popular for a brief period before falling out of favor again. Nonetheless, even after many decades of declining popularity, the name Lew continues to appear among newborns in the United States, demonstrating its enduring appeal among some parents.