Levinson
A surname meaning “son of Levi” or “son of Levin,” especially associated with Jewish family names.
The #6,579 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 59,986 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Levinson is a patronymic surname built from Levin plus the English/Germanic ending -son, meaning “son of.” In the historical Jewish naming tradition, Levin often reflects the Hebrew name Levi, so the name can be understood as “son of Levi” or “son of Levin.” Some older writers also treated it as a German-Jewish family name formed in Europe and later naturalized in English-speaking countries.
History
The name appears in 19th- and early-20th-century surname lists as a Jewish family name found among immigrants and their descendants. In English-speaking countries, spellings such as Levinson, Levinsohn, and Levisohn were often adjusted to fit local spelling habits. The surname is especially common among Ashkenazi Jewish families, where Levi-based names are widespread.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Hebrew name Levi is one of the ancient tribal names of Israel, which helped make Levi-based surnames especially common in Jewish communities.
From the historical record
“son, Leeves, &c. LEVIN. LEVINSON. LEVINSOHN. LEVISOHN. Levi aud Levi's son. Family names of German Jews naturalized iu this country.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Levinson
- Barry Levinson (b. 1942)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.