Find out how popular the last name Levant is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Levant.
A topographic surname referring to someone from the Levant region of the Mediterranean.
Levant, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Levant surname is from the 2010 census data.
Levant is the 56588th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Levant surname appeared 361 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Levant.
We can also compare 2010 data for Levant to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 56588 | 54643 | 3.50% |
| Count | 361 | 353 | 2.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.13 | -8.00% |
The surname Levant originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French word "levant," meaning "rising" or "east." This name was likely given to someone who lived in the eastern part of a town or region, or possibly an individual who had traveled to or from the Levant region, which encompasses modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and parts of Turkey.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Levant surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Le Vant" and "Le Vante," indicating its French origins.
In the 13th century, a man named Guillaume Levant was mentioned in the records of the city of Marseille, France. He was a merchant who traded with the Levant region, which further reinforces the connection between the surname and the eastern Mediterranean area.
Another notable figure bearing the Levant surname was Jean Levant, a French poet and philosopher who lived in the 16th century (circa 1530-1598). His works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
During the 17th century, the Levant surname appeared in various regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany. One prominent individual from this era was Pierre Levant (1612-1685), a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the 18th century, the Levant surname spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Germany. One noteworthy individual was William Levant (1737-1801), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens.
As the Levant surname continued to disperse across different countries and regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Levante, Levaunt, and Levaunts. Despite these variations, the name's connection to the eastern Mediterranean region remained a common thread throughout its history.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Levant.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Levant was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 48.75% | 176 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 39.61% | 143 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.94% | 7 |
| Hispanic Origin | 8.86% | 32 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Levant has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 48.75% | 54.67% | -11.45% |
| Black | 39.61% | 39.38% | 0.58% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 1.94% | 2.27% | -15.68% |
| Hispanic | 8.86% | 2.83% | 103.17% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Levant was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Levant, please contact us.
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