2000
#6,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,079
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Levitt
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Yiddish word "levit," meaning "Levite" or a descendant of the Levites.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,375 Americans carry the last name Levitt. That puts it at #6,910 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Levitt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Levitt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,768
Census rank
#6,910
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,687 bearers of the surname Levitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6910th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Levitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Levitt
The surname Levitt is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "leofede" meaning "beloved" or "dear." It is believed to have emerged in the 12th century as a surname given to someone with an amiable or well-liked personality.
The name is thought to have originated in the counties of Essex and Suffolk in the eastern region of England. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Levet, Levett, and Levitt.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robertus Leved, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. The Pipe Rolls were administrative records kept by the English Exchequer during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, which were surveys of landowners and their holdings. The record mentions a Robert Leuet from that county.
The Levitt surname can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Levett's Green in Suffolk and Levett's Lane in Essex. These places likely derived their names from early Levitt families who resided there.
Notable bearers of the Levitt surname throughout history include:
1. John Levitt (c.1630-1699), an English Puritan minister and author who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2. Christopher Levett (1586-1630), an English explorer and author who attempted to establish a settlement in present-day Maine.
3. William Levett (1625-1698), an English naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the first governor of the Bahamas.
4. James Levitt (1785-1853), an English engraver and painter known for his mezzotint portraits.
5. Amanda Levitt (1903-1989), an American actress and singer who performed on Broadway and in Hollywood films.
The surname Levitt has endured through the centuries, with various spelling variations and branches spreading across different regions of England and eventually to other parts of the world through migration and colonization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Levitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Levitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Levitt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Levitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 4,244
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 141
- Two or more races2.8% · 132
- Black or African American2.2% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 57
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Levitt
Levitt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,407
+328 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 108 places
2020
#6,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,687
-720 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 599 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,203 | 5,079 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,311 | 5,407 | 1.83 | +328 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 108 places |
| 2020 | #6,910 | 4,687 | 1.57 | -720 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 599 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Levitt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,311 | #6,910 | -9.5% |
| Count | 5,407 | 4,687 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 1.57 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Levitt bearers went from 5,407 to 4,687 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 599 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,311 to #6,910.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Levitt
FAQ
Levitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Levitt?
Name Census estimates that about 5,375 living Americans carry the surname Levitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,768 residents.
How common is Levitt?
Levitt ranks #6,910 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,687 people with the surname Levitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,375), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Levitt.
Has Levitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Levitt went from 5,407 recorded bearers to 4,687. That is a decrease of 720 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,311 to #6,910.
What does the Census say about the background of Levitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Levitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Levitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (4,244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Levitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Levitt (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Levitt mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Yiddish word "levit," meaning "Levite" or a descendant of the Levites. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Levitt (1.57 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Levitt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.