Levi
A biblical Hebrew surname meaning “joined” or “attached,” originally the name of Jacob’s third son and the ancestor of the Levites.
The #4,731 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,166 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Levi comes from the Hebrew personal name Levi, traditionally explained as meaning “joined,” “attached,” or “associated.” In the Bible, Levi is Jacob’s third son, and the name became linked with the Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel. As a surname, it was adopted especially by Jewish families from the biblical name.
History
The name has long been used among Jewish communities as both a given name and a hereditary surname. Nineteenth-century surname writers also noted related forms such as Levy, Levison, Levin, and Levinson, often explaining them as “son of Levi.” In modern usage it is strongly associated with Jewish naming tradition, though it also appears more widely as a personal name in some cultures.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The tribe of Levi in biblical tradition gave rise to the modern word Levite, used for members of that ancient priestly line.
From the historical record
“LEVEY, See Levi. LEVI. This personal name seems to be the common source of Levy, Levej^, Levi- son, Leeves, &c. LEVIN. LEVINSON. LEVINSOHN. LEVISOHN. Levi aud Levi's son. Family names of German Jews naturalized iu this country. LEVISON. See Levi.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Levi
- Primo Levi (1919–1987)
- Tullio Levi-Civita (1873–1941)
- Carlo Levi (1902–1975)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.