Levin (surname)

Levin (original Russian: Левин) is a surname with several word origins. It is a common Jewish name (Levine/Levin/Levi).

In the Jewish (a variant of Levy) it is derivative of one of the 12 Jewish biblical tribes, the tribe of Levi, whose descendants the Levites had distinctive duties in the Temple period.

In the Russian variant, Levin comes from lev (лев ) which means lion in Russian. It can also be pronounced Lyovin ( Лёвин) which is a patronymic form of Lëva.

Leo Tolstoy's first name in Russian is Lev. In his novel Anna Karenina, one of the protagonists is named Levin (possibly named after Leo Tolstoy).

The Levin (Левин) name has a coat of arms and has been registered in the Russian Imperial heraldry book since the 1700s.

In some cases the surname Levin is derived from the German personal name Liebwin. In other cases the surname represents a form of the Yiddish word for "lion" (לייב leyv).

It is also often an anglicisation of the name Lavigne, especially in the northeast US.

Other variations include Lavin, Lavine, Le Neve, Levene, Levi, Levina, Levine, Levitt, Levy, Lewin, Lieven, Levins and Levinson.

People with the name "Levin" (and Russian feminine variant Levina) include:

People

A–I

J–Z

Fictional characters

See also

References
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