Lewes

Meanings

1. A surname.
2. A placename:
3. A town and civil parish with a town council in Lewes district, East Sussex, England (OS grid ref TQ4110).
4. A local government district in East Sussex, England. Seat: Lewes, formed in 1974, with its headquarters in the town.
5. A city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States.
6. A community in Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

1. plural of lew

Etymology

From Middle English Lewes, from late Old English Lewes, a variant of earlier Lǣwe, of uncertain origin. Traditionally derived from Old English hlǣw (“hill”), referring to the several mounts in Lewes. Alternatively, perhaps derived from Old English lǣw (“cut, incision, gash”), referring to the narrow, steep-sided 'gash' where the River Ouse cuts through the line of the South Downs.