Lewis is the English form of Louis, which goes back to the Germanic Ludwig and means "famous warrior" or "famous in battle". Explorer Meriwether Lewis and author C. S. Lewis are two of its best-known bearers, and in the United States it reads as a classic surname-style first name. Lewis has been in the top 1000 throughout this century, moving from number 573 in 2000 to number 433 in 2025, close to its best recent rank.