Levy
Usually a surname from the biblical name Levi, though in some families it was also shaped by Jewish naming traditions in continental Europe.
The #932 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,293 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Levy is commonly taken as a variant of Levi, the biblical name borne by the son of Jacob and ancestor of the Levites. In surname use, it often began as an identifying Jewish family name built from that personal name, later fixed in forms such as Levy, Levey, and Leavy. In English-language surname books, some writers also connected Levy with the same Levi-based family cluster rather than treating it as a separate source.
History
The name appears widely among Jewish communities in Britain, Ireland, and the broader diaspora, and it also entered general English surname usage through spelling variation. English and Irish onomastic works often group Levy with Levi, Levey, Levins, and related forms. In modern usage it is especially common in Jewish families, though not exclusively so.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers often listed Levy in the same family as Levi and even related forms like Leveson and Levinson, showing how fluid spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“" Law," says Mr. Bowdltch, " has furnished many names of families ; as Brass, (its 7'aw material), Wyles, Law, Laws, Lawless, Coad, Court, Leet, Roll, Record, Docket, Case, Traverse, Levy, Chancellor, Mace, Judge, Justice, Foreman, Sherlfl', Sherlfis, Constable, Marshall, Beadle, Crier, Sumner, Warning, Warner…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Levy
- William Levy (b. 1980)
- Marc Levy (b. 1961)
- Barbara Boxer (b. 1940)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.