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.
- #221 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #433 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 155,766
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
155,766 babies have been named Lewis since 1880, making it today's #433 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Lewis recorded 155,766 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #433 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.
- #221 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #433 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 155,766 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lewis ranks #221 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #433 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 155,766 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #221 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #433 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 155,766
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Lewis's 155,766 recorded births place it above 99.51% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Lewis compares
155,766 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 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 422x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lewis | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 155,766 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,712 | 34 | 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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (25,328 births, 16% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Lewis sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Lewis most popular? ▼
Where is Lewis most popular? ▼
How long has the name Lewis been used? ▼
What names are similar to Lewis? ▼
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
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
Compare Lewis side by side: Lewis vs Lew Lewis vs Lewie Lewis vs Lewellyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lewis
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lewis: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.