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

Levy, 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 Levy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Levy in America

Levy is the 932nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Levy surname appeared 37,228 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Levy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Levy 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 Levy

The surname Levy originates from the Hebrew language and has its roots in the ancient biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Levi", which refers to the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel mentioned in the Old Testament.

The Levites were a specific group within the tribe of Levi who were designated to serve as priests and assistants in the religious rituals and ceremonies of the Israelites. The name Levy, therefore, became associated with those who belonged to this prominent tribe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Levy can be traced back to the medieval period in various parts of Europe, particularly in France, Germany, and England. In these regions, the name was often spelled as "Levi" or "Levey" before the more modern spelling of "Levy" became widely adopted.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Levy was Rabbi Gershom ben Judah, also known as Gershom the Light of the Diaspora, who lived in France between 960 and 1040 CE. He was a renowned Talmudic scholar and is credited with establishing several important legal and ethical principles that became influential in Jewish communities across Europe.

Another notable figure was Judah Halevi, a celebrated Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet, who lived from 1075 to 1141 CE. His works, particularly the philosophical treatise "Kuzari" and his poetry collection "Diwan," have had a lasting impact on Jewish thought and literature.

In England, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Levy can be found in the Pipe Rolls of 1185, which mention a Jewish landowner named Aaron Levy in the county of Lincolnshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Levy was also associated with several prominent Jewish families in various parts of Europe, such as the Levy family of Avignon in France and the Levy family of Mainz in Germany.

Another notable individual with the surname Levy was David Levy, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1766 to 1822. He is best known for his work in celestial mechanics and for co-discovering several comets, including the periodic comet now known as Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.

These examples illustrate the long and rich history of the surname Levy, which has been carried by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Levy

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

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

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

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