Lewis / Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Lewis / Family History

Lewis / Family History

The Lewis ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Lewis is a baptismal name meaning 'famous warrior'. Variants include Lewison and Levison, Plews and Plues. In Wales this name is an anglicized form of Llywelyn. This name is of Welsh Descent spreading to England, Ireland and Scotland in early times, and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout the above countries. Examples of such are a William Lewys, of London, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273 and a Griffin Lewys was registered in the University of Oxford, in the year 1518. A Thomas Plews and Charlotte Boyce were married in Saint George, Hanover Square, in the year 1792. In Scotland the name was taken as a Gaelicized form of Lewie, a pet form of the name given as Lewis. The name Lewis in Ireland is an anglicized form of MacLughaidh and is derived from a Celtic God.The Lewis family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Lewis descendants.