Total births
2,193
Boys' name · since 1880
Lew
Lew has 2,193 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 2,193
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 18%
- born in that decade
2,193 boys have been named Lew since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lew has been recorded 2,193 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 2,193 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 18% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
2,193 boys have been named Lew since 1880, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2025.
- 2,193
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 18%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Lew was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
55 babies were named Lew in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
Lew's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lew's full recorded timeline at 1940, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 55 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lew at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1959
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Lew popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 55
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lew popularity over time - girls
15 total births recorded since 1929 (Lew as girls' name)
Lew by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lew's strongest decade.
394 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Lew births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 127
1880s
127 births
- 1890s 66
1890s
66 births
- 1900s 69
1900s
69 births
- 1910s
1910s
212 births
- 1920s
1920s
238 births
- 1930s
1930s
300 births
- 1940s
1940s
313 births
- 1950s
1950s
394 births
- 1960s
1960s
250 births
- 1970s 106
1970s
106 births
- 1980s 72
1980s
72 births
- 1990s 18
1990s
18 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 394 births (18% of all-time use).
How Lew compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Lew's total volume
Lew vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lew by state
Where Lew concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 34 | 1.6% |
| #2 | California | | 32 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 13 | 0.6% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 11 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Texas | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 5 | 0.2% |
New York share of Lew's total US births 1.6%
Even split
34 of 2,193 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lew? ▼
2,193 babies have been named Lew since 1880. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1959 with 55 births.
When was Lew most popular? ▼
Lew was most popular in the 1950s decade with 394 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Lew most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lew are New York (34 births), California (32 births), Illinois (13 births).
How long has the name Lew been used? ▼
Lew has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lew? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lewis, Lewie, Lewellyn, Lewin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lew's data
- Lew's decade-level peak was the 1950s (394 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lews (34 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lew
Nearby Names Like Lew
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lew
Lewis Boy
#431 155,766 births
Lewie Boy
#12367 870 births
Lewellyn Boy
306 births
Lewin Boy
#5267 275 births
Lewi Boy
#7655 144 births
Compare Lew side by side: Lew vs Lewis Lew vs Lewie Lew vs Lewellyn
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lew: Baby Name Since 1880 - 2,193 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lew. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lew draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.