Liev
A masculine name of Russian origin meaning "lion".
Name Census estimates that about 497 living Americans carry the first name Liev. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Liev today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Liev births was 2016 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Liev. 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
497
~ 1 in 689,647 Americans
Peak year
2016
58 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,137
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Liev: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Liev from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 363 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Liev remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Liev 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 Liev during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lievs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Liev, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 47 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Liev
The name Liev has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly in the Russian and Ukrainian cultures. It is believed to have derived from the old Slavic word "lev," which means "lion." This root is also found in other Slavic names like Lev and Levon.
The earliest recorded use of the name Liev dates back to the 10th century, during the time of the Kievan Rus, an medieval East Slavic state. It was not uncommon for Slavic names to be inspired by nature or animals, with the lion being a symbol of strength, courage, and nobility.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Liev was Liev Sviatoslavich, a prince of the Rurik dynasty who ruled the city of Novgorod in the late 11th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Liev Daniilovich, a military commander who served under the Grand Prince of Moscow in the 14th century.
In the realm of literature, the name Liev appears in the epic historical novel "And Quiet Flows the Don" by Mikhail Sholokhov, which depicts the lives of Cossack families during the tumultuous times of World War I and the Russian Revolution. One of the characters, Liev Melekhov, is a central figure in the story.
Among the prominent individuals with the name Liev throughout history, one can mention Liev Pavlovich Solovyov (1805-1856), a Russian philosopher and historian known for his influential works on the history of Russia. Another notable figure was Liev Mikhailovich Karamzin (1766-1826), a Russian writer and historian who is best known for his 12-volume "History of the Russian State."
In the 20th century, the name Liev gained recognition through the American actor Liev Schreiber, born in 1967, who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including "Ray Donovan," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and "Spotlight."
While the name Liev may not be as common in modern times, it carries a rich heritage rooted in Slavic cultures and has been borne by notable figures throughout history, from princes and military commanders to philosophers, writers, and actors.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Liev
People
Liev + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Liev 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
Liev: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Liev?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 497 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Liev 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 689,647 US residents.
Is Liev a common name?
We classify Liev as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 501 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Liev most popular?
The single biggest year for Liev was 2016, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Liev is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Liev a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Liev 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.