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.

Levy
Pronunciation/ˈlvi, ˈlɛvi/
Origin
Language(s)Hebrew
Meaningjoining
Other names
Variant form(s)Levi, Lévi, Lévy; Lewy, Lewi, Lewj (languages: Polish, German, etc.); Weil, Veil, etc. (in anagram form)

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]

People with the surname Levy/Lévy

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In arts and media

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Film, television, and theatre

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In literature and journalism

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In music

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In other media

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In business

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  • Daniel Levy (businessman) (born 1962), Chairman of the British football club Tottenham Hotspur
  • David Levy Yulee (1810–1886), Democratic senator from Florida, industrialist and railroad entrepreneur
  • David Guy Levy, president and CEO of Periscope Entertainment
  • Delphine Levy (1969–2020), French manager of cultural institutions
  • Florence Nightingale Levy (1870–1947), American arts administrator
  • Lewis Levy (1815–1885), Australian businessman and politician
  • Lou Levy (publisher) (1912–1995), American music publisher who played a key role in the careers of some of the most famous songwriters
  • Morris Levy (1927–1990), American music industry executive
  • Paul F. Levy, former President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Rami Levy, Israeli discount supermarket owner

In government and politics

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United States

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Other countries

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In military

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In science and academia

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In biology, medicine, and psychology

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In mathematics

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Other academic fields

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In sport and games

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In other fields

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Priest of the Diocese of Limerick, Member of the Council, National Academy of Ireland, Irish Names and Surnames, © 1967 Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, in Irish and English, pp. 355–356
  2. ^ Edward MacLysaght, Irish Families – Their Names, Arms and Origins, © 1972 Allen Figgis and Co. Ltd., in U.S.A., New York, Crown Publishers, Inc., p. 118, "MacDONLEVY, Dunleavy, Leavy ... Mac Duinnshléibhe ... In modern times it has many synonyms : besides spelling variants such as Donlevy, there is McAleevy (due to the aspiration of the D), Leevy (by abbreviation) and MacNulty, or in Irish, Mac an Ultaigh, i.e. son of the Ulidian (Ultach)."