Total births
155,766
Boys' name · since 1880
Lewis
Lewis has 155,766 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #431
- among boys today
- 155,766
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
155,766 babies have been named Lewis since 1880, making it today's #431 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Lewis recorded 155,766 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #431 nationally today, ahead of 97% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #431 among boys today
- 155,766 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lewis is currently the #431 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 155,766 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #431
- among boys today
- 155,766
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Lewis vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#431
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Lewis was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
2,712 babies were named Lewis in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Lewis compares
155,766 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lewis's all-time total is 424x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lewis | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 155,766 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,712 | 23 | 22,252 |
Lewis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lewis's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 34% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 66%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1901, with only 309 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 2,712, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lewis at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1921
Current rank
#431
Active since
1880
Lewis popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 2,712
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lewis popularity over time - girls
870 total births recorded since 1892 (Lewis as girls' name)
Lewis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lewis's strongest decade.
25,328 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Lewis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,341
1880s
4,341 births
- 1890s 3,699
1890s
3,699 births
- 1900s 4,042
1900s
4,042 births
- 1910s
1910s
17,787 births
- 1920s
1920s
25,328 births
- 1930s
1930s
20,017 births
- 1940s
1940s
20,931 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,133 births
- 1960s
1960s
11,683 births
- 1970s 7,517
1970s
7,517 births
- 1980s 5,841
1980s
5,841 births
- 1990s 4,533
1990s
4,533 births
- 2000s 3,424
2000s
3,424 births
- 2010s 4,552
2010s
4,552 births
- 2020s 3,938
2020s
3,938 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 25,328 births (16% of all-time use).
How Lewis 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 Lewis's total volume
Lewis vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lewis by state
Where Lewis concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 9,683 | 6.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 9,668 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 8,085 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 7,292 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 7,261 | 4.7% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 6,864 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 6,696 | 4.3% |
| #8 | California | | 6,143 | 3.9% |
New York share of Lewis's total US births 6.2%
Even split
9,683 of 155,766 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lewis appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lewis? ▼
Lewis has been given to 155,766 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #431 as of the latest data. 2,712 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Lewis most popular? ▼
Lewis was most popular in the 1920s decade with 25,328 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Lewis most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lewis are New York (9,683 births), Pennsylvania (9,668 births), Texas (8,085 births).
How long has the name Lewis been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lewis since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lewis? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lew, Lewie, Lewellyn, Lewin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lewis's data
- Lewis's decade-level peak was the 1920s (25,328 total births); usage has since declined to 3,938 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lewiss (9,683 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 Lewis
Nearby Names Like Lewis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lewis
Lew Boy
2,193 births
Lewie Boy
#12367 870 births
Lewellyn Boy
306 births
Lewin Boy
#5267 275 births
Lewi Boy
#7655 144 births
Compare Lewis side by side: Lewis vs Lew Lewis vs Lewie Lewis vs Lewellyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lewis
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. "Lewis: #431 Boys' Name - 155,766 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lewis. 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 Lewis 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.