Pronunciation | /ˈliːvi, ˈlɛvi/ |
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Origin | |
Language(s) | Hebrew |
Meaning | joining |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Levi, Lévi, Lévy; Lewy, Lewi, Lewj (languages: Polish, German, etc.); Weil, Veil, etc. (in anagram form) |
Levy or Lévy is a surname generally of Hebrew origin. It is a transliteration of the Hebrew לוי meaning "joining". Another spelling of the surname—among multiple other spellings—is Levi or Lévi.
The surname usually refers to a family claiming Levite descent (from the Israelite tribe of Levi), which implies a specific social status in the structure of a traditional Jewish community. A priest, which is Kohen in Hebrew, is from a subset of the Levite tribe, descended from the first high priest Aaron, the brother of Moses.
Levy can also be—though it is very rarely—a surname of French, Scottish, and Welsh origin. Variant spellings of the Scottish surname Levy are Levey, Leevy and Leavy.[1][2]