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

Levingston, 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 Levingston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Levingston in America

Levingston is the 17726th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Levingston surname appeared 1,581 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 Levingston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Levingston 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 Levingston

The surname Levingston has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "leofing" meaning "beloved" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person from a beloved or favored town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a Robert de Leuuingtona is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

The name Levingston is also associated with various place names in England, such as Levington in Suffolk and Levington in Yorkshire. These locations may have contributed to the development of the surname, as it was common practice for people to adopt surnames based on the places they were from or associated with.

Notable figures throughout history who bore the surname Levingston include:

1. Sir Richard Levingston (c. 1340 - 1399), an English knight who served under Edward III and fought in the Hundred Years' War.
2. William Levingston (c. 1510 - 1587), an English merchant and alderman of the City of London, known for his philanthropic endeavors.
3. Elizabeth Levingston (c. 1620 - 1680), an English landowner and benefactor, who established a school and almshouses in her hometown of Levington, Suffolk.
4. John Levingston (1675 - 1737), a British colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Jersey from 1703 to 1708.
5. Mary Levingston (1788 - 1865), an English writer and poet, celebrated for her works on nature and rural life.

While the Levingston surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, with connections to both place names and Old English terminology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Levingston

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

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

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

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