Levin
A masculine given name of Russian origin meaning "lion".
Name Census estimates that about 1,347 living Americans carry the first name Levin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Levin today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Levin births was 2011 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Levin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 254,458 Americans
Peak year
2011
60 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,017
Tracked since 1889
Gender
Gender distribution for Levin
Out of the 1,656 babies given the name Levin since 1880, 99.7% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Levin as a male name
- Ranked #3,017 in 2024
- 41 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (60 births)
Levin as a female name
- Ranked #17,088 in 2018
- 5 female births in 2018
- Peak: 2018 (5 births)
Popularity
Levin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Levin from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 440 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Levin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Levin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Levin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Levins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Maryland recorded the most babies named Levin, while Virginia, New York, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Levin
The name Levin is a masculine given name with origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew word "levi," which means "joined" or "attached." The name is associated with the biblical figure Levi, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the patriarchal ancestor of the Levite tribe in ancient Israel.
In the Old Testament, the Levites were responsible for religious duties and the maintenance of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem. The name Levin is closely tied to this religious and cultural heritage, and it has been used by Jewish communities for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Levin can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism compiled between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE. The Talmud mentions several individuals with the name Levin, indicating its use during the early centuries of the Common Era.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Levin. One of the earliest was Levi ben Gershon, also known as Gersonides, a famous Jewish philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who lived in the 14th century (1288-1344 CE) in Provence, France.
Another prominent Levin was Levi Eshkol (1895-1969), an Israeli statesman who served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death in 1969. He played a crucial role in shaping Israel's policies during the turbulent years following the Six-Day War.
In the realm of literature, Levin Schücking (1814-1883) was a German writer and poet who became known for his contributions to the Biedermeier literary movement in the 19th century.
The name Levin has also been associated with scientific and academic achievements. Levi M. Terman (1877-1956) was an American psychologist who developed the Stanford-Binet IQ test and pioneered the study of gifted children.
Lastly, Levi Strauss (1829-1902), a German-American businessman, is widely recognized as the inventor of blue jeans and the founder of the iconic Levi's brand of clothing.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Levin, reflecting its enduring presence across various cultures, religions, and fields of human endeavor.
People
Levin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Levin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Levin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Levin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,347 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Levin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 254,458 US residents.
Is Levin a common name?
We classify Levin as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,656 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Levin most popular?
The single biggest year for Levin was 2011, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Levin is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Levin a male name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Levin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.