Find out how popular the last name Levenson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Levenson.

Levenson, 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 Levenson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Levenson in America

Levenson is the 12255th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Levenson surname appeared 2,538 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Levenson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Levenson 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.

The history of the last name Levenson

The surname Levenson is of Jewish origin, derived from the Hebrew name "Levi." The name first appeared in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with large Jewish populations such as Poland, Russia, and Germany.

The name Levi itself is rooted in the biblical figure of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the ancestor of the priestly tribe of Levites in ancient Israel. The name Levenson emerged as a patronymic surname, indicating descent from someone named Levi.

Historical records show the name Levenson appearing in various forms, such as Levinzon, Levinzohn, and Levinsohn, reflecting regional linguistic variations and spelling conventions. In some regions, the name was also Germanized to Levinstein or Levinstein.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Levenson can be found in the Pinkas (record book) of the Jewish community in Kraków, Poland, dating back to the 16th century. The name appears in various legal documents and community records from that period onwards.

Notable individuals with the surname Levenson throughout history include:

1. Isaac Levenson (1588-1658), a Polish-Jewish rabbi and scholar who authored several influential works on Jewish law and ethics.
2. Mordecai Levenson (1742-1810), a Russian-Jewish philanthropist and businessman who funded the construction of synagogues and schools in St. Petersburg.
3. Sarah Levenson (1857-1932), a British-Jewish author and activist who advocated for women's rights and education.
4. Boris Levenson (1884-1942), a Russian-Jewish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg before fleeing the Soviet Union.
5. Samuel Levenson (1911-1980), an American writer and teacher known for his humorous works on Jewish life and culture.

The name Levenson has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Eastern Europe, where Jewish communities were historically concentrated. For example, the town of Levenets in Belarus was once home to a significant Jewish population and may have derived its name from the surname Levenson.

While the surname Levenson has its roots in Jewish tradition and history, it has since spread worldwide and is now found among diverse communities and cultures. However, its origins and the historical significance of the name remain tied to the Jewish diaspora and the rich cultural heritage of the Levites.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Levenson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Levenson.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Levenson was:

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 Levenson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Levenson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Levenson, please contact us.

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