(male) (French) name, of Germanic (Frankish) origin, from hlōd ‘fame’ + wīg ‘war’. It was very common in French royal and noble families. Louis I (778–840) was the son of Charlemagne, who ruled as both King of France and Holy Roman Emperor. Altogether, the name was borne by sixteen kings of France up to the French Revolution, in which Louis XVI perished. Louis XIV, ‘the Sun King’ (1638–1715), reigned for seventy-two years (1643–1715), presiding in the middle part of his reign over a period of unparalleled French power and prosperity. In modern times Louis is also found in the English-speaking world (usually pronounced ‘loo-ee’). In Britain the Anglicized form Lewis is rather more common, whereas in America the reverse is true.
Variants: Lewie, Lewi, Louie (Anglicized spellings).
Short form: Lou.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Luthais. German: Ludwig. Dutch: Lodewijk. Scandinavian: Ludvig, Lovis. Spanish: Luis. Catalan: Lluis. Portuguese: Luis. Italian: Luigi, Lodovico. Polish: Ludwik. Czech, Slovenian: Ludvik. Hungarian: Lajos. Lithuanian: Liudvikas.
English and Scottish: patronymic from the personal name John. As an American family name, Johnson has absorbed patronymics and many other derivatives of this name in continental European languages. (For forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988.)
FOREBEARS Johnson is the second most frequent surname in the U.S. It was brought independently to North America by many different bearers from the 17th and 18th centuries onward. Andrew Johnson (1808– 75), 17th president of the U.S., was born in Raleigh, NC, the younger son of Jacob Johnson and Mary (or Polly) McDonough.Little is known of his ancestors. The 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson, dates his American forebears back seven generations to James Johnston (sic) (b. about 1662) who lived at Currowaugh, Nansemond, and Isle of Wight Counties, VA. Noted early bearers also include Marmaduke (d. 1674), a printer who came from England to MA in 1660; Edward (1598–1672), a colonial chronicler who was baptized at St.George's parish, Canterbury, England, and emigrated to Boston in 1630; and Sir Nathaniel (c. 1645–1713), a colonial governor of Carolina, who came from County Durham, England.
