Levi (surname)
| Pronunciation | English: /ˈliːvi/ LEE-vee or /ˈlɛvi/ LEV-ee Hebrew: [leˈvi] |
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| Language | Hebrew |
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| Other names | |
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Levi or Lévi is a Jewish surname. It is a transliteration of the Hebrew word לוי. Another spelling of the name is Levy (or Lévy). According to Jewish tradition, people with the surname have patrilineal descent from the Levites of the Bible.[1] In 2019, it was revealed as the second most common surname in Israel (after Cohen).[2]
In addition to its Jewish origins, the surname Levi also has distinct Italian origins:
- Toponymic origin: In some cases, the name is derived from the Valchiavenna region in Northern Italy. Notable examples are Father Abramo Levi[3] and the producer Romano Levi[4], whose family was of Catholic (not Jewish) descent and native to this area.[5]
- Apheretic form: It can also be an abbreviated or apheretic form of the Italian surnames Diotallevi or Allevi.[6][7]
For a broader overview of the name's distribution and history, see Levi (cognome).
People with the surname
- Judah HaLevi (c. 1075–1141), Spanish-Jewish physician, poet, and philosopher
- Virgilio Levi (1929-2002), Catholic priest and Italian journalist[8]
- A. F. J. Levi (born 1959), British-American physicist
- Alda Levi (1890–1950), Italian archaeologist and art historian
- Alexander Levi (1809–1893), French Jew who became the first foreigner to be naturalized in Iowa
- Beppo Levi (1875–1961), Italian mathematician
- Carlo Levi (1902–1975), Italian-Jewish painter, writer, activist, anti-fascist, and doctor
- Charles Levi (born before c. 1977), bassist of My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
- Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908–2009), French anthropologist and ethnologist
- Clemente Pugliese Levi (1855–1936), Italian painter
- Daniel Lévi (born 1961), French singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist
- David Levi (disambiguation), several people
- Devon Levi (born 2001), Canadian ice hockey player
- Doro Levi (1899–1991), Italian archaeologist
- Edward Hirsch Levi (1911–2000), American academic leader, scholar, and statesman
- Éliphas Lévi (1810–1875), French occult author and purported magician
- Elvis Levi (born 1987), New Zealand rugby union player
- Eric Lévi (born 1955), French musician
- Eugenio Elia Levi (1883–1917), Italian mathematician
- Friedrich Wilhelm Levi (1888–1966), German mathematician
- Gerson Levi-Lazzaris (born 1979), Brazilian ethnoarchaeologist
- Herbert Walter Levi (1921–2014), German professor of zoology and arachnologist
- Hermann Levi (1839–1900), German-Jewish orchestral conductor
- Howard Levi (1916–2002), American mathematician
- Ijahman Levi (born 1946), Jamaican reggae musician
- Joseph Levi (1924–2019), American businessman and politician
- Kate Everest Levi (1859–1939), American social worker
- Leo N. Levi (1856–1904), American lawyer and communal worker
- London Levi, 2009 America's Next Top Model contestant
- Leone Levi (1821–1888), English jurist and statistician
- Mario Levi (1957–2024), Turkish novelist and journalist
- Moshe Levi (1936–2008), IDF Chief of Staff
- Nimrod Levi (born 1995), Israeli basketball player
- Paul Levi (1883–1930), German-Jewish Communist leader
- Paul Levi (picture framer) (1919–2008), German-born picture framer in the UK
- Peter Levi (1931–2000), English poet and professor of poetry
- Primo Levi (1919–1987), Italian chemist and writer
- Pop Levi (born 1977), English singer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and filmmaker
- Richard Levi (born 1988), South African cricketer
- Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909–2012), Italian neurologist
- Sara Levi-Tanai (1911–2005), Israeli choreographer
- Tullio Levi-Civita (1873–1941), Italian mathematician
- Ya'akov Levi (born 1964), Israeli Olympic gymnast
- Yehuda Levi (born 1979), Israeli actor and male model
- Yinon Levi, Israeli settler and murderer
- Yoel Levi (born 1950), Romanian-Israeli musician and conductor
- Yohanan Levi (1901–1945), German linguist and historian
- Zachary Levi (born 1980), American actor
- Abramo Levi (1920-2007), Italian priest
- Romano Levi (1928-2008), Italian producer
Fictional characters
- Dolly Gallagher Levi, fictional character and the protagonist of the 1938 play The Merchant of Yonkers
See also
- All pages with titles beginning with Levi
- All pages with titles containing Levi
- Levy (surname)
- Loevy (Hebrew: לוי)
References
- ^ Posner, Menachem. "What Does the Last Name Levy Mean?". Chabad. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ אלון, אמיר (4 February 2019). "למ"ס: אלה שמות המשפחה הנפוצים בישראל". ynet (in Hebrew).
- ^ "Abramo Levi". Archivio Abramo Levi. 2014-11-08. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ "I protagonisti di Langa, Romano Levi, Grappaiolo Angelico". www.saporidilanga.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ Scaramellini, Guido. Chiavenna e le sue valli (in Italian). Edizioni d'arte Marconi.
- ^ "Levi - Origine del Cognome". www.cognomix.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ^ Francipane, Michele (2005). Dizionario ragionato dei cognomi italiani (in Italian). Milan: RCS Libri.
- ^ Rusconi, Giuseppe. "IN MEMORIA DI MONS. VIRGILIO LEVI". www.rossoporpora.org (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-01-31.