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

Levins, 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 Levins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Levins in America

Levins is the 13316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Levins surname appeared 2,291 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 Levins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Levins 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 Levins

The surname Levins is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Leven, itself a diminutive form of the name Levi. The name Levi derives from the Hebrew word "Levi," meaning "joined" or "attached," referring to one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

The earliest known record of the Levins surname dates back to the late 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, England. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Willelmus filius Leuen, or William, son of Leven, residing in Yorkshire during that time.

In the early 14th century, the Levins surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which listed several individuals with the surname Levyns or Levyngs, likely variations of the same name.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Levins surname. However, it does mention several places with similar-sounding names, such as Leventon in Berkshire and Levinton in Yorkshire, which may have contributed to the development of the Levins surname over time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Levins surname was John Levins, a prominent English author and scholar born around 1540. He is best known for his work titled "The Pathway to Knowledge," published in 1596, which was a popular book on natural history and science during the Elizabethan era.

Another notable figure was Sir Creswell Levins (1601-1661), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and actively supported King Charles I's cause against the Parliamentarians.

In the 18th century, Robert Levins (1722-1802) was a celebrated English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. George in the East and the Royal Mint.

During the 19th century, William Levins (1825-1892) was a renowned English botanist and horticulturist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant physiology and was credited with introducing several new plant species to England from other parts of the world.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Henry Levins (1901-1978) was a prominent English businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Levins Corporation, a successful manufacturing company, and donated generously to various charitable causes throughout his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Levins

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

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

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

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