Levy (surname)

Levy
Pronunciation	/ˈliːvi, ˈlɛvi/
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 almost always a surname 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, which implies a specific social status in the structure of a traditional Jewish community.

Levy and Coen are “Gaelic Irish surname(s) which have a foreign appearance but are nethertheless rarely if ever found indigenous outside Ireland” according to Edward MacLysaght.^[1]

Levy can also be—though it is very rarely—a surname of French, Scottish, and Welsh origin. It is then a Highland's shortening of the Irish Mac Duinnshléibhe (anglicized Donlevy). When eastern Ireland's kingdom of Ulaid fell to John de Courcy in 1177, many of the MacDonlevy dynasty sought asylum in the Highlands of Scotland. Variant spellings of the Scottish surname Levy are Levey, Leevy and Leavy.^[2]^[3]

People with the surname Levy/Lévy[]

In arts and media[]

Film, television, and theatre[]

Caissie Levy (born 1981), Canadian stage actress and singer
Dani Levy (born 1957), Swiss filmmaker, theatrical director and actor
Dan Levy (Canadian actor) (born 1983), Canadian actor and TV personality; son of comedic actor Eugene Levy
David Levy (psychologist) (born 1954), American psychologist, professor, author, and actor
Deborah Levy (born 1959), British playwright, novelist, and poet
Eugene Levy (born 1946), Canadian actor
Gabriel Levy (1881–1965), German film producer
Hassia Levy-Agron (1923–2001), Israeli dancer
Jane Levy (born 1989), American actress
Paul Bern (Paul Levy, 1889–1932), German-American film director, screenwriter and producer
Scott Anthony Levy (born 1964), American professional wrestler better known as Raven
Shawn Levy (born 1968), Canadian-American actor, director and producer
William Levy (actor) (born 1980), Cuban-American actor

In literature and journalism[]

Andrea Levy (1956–2019), British author
Bernard-Henri Lévy (born 1948), French public intellectual and journalist
Dan Levy (journalist) (born 1978), American sports journalist
Daniel Levy (pianist) (born 1947), Argentine classical pianist, author and broadcaster
David Levy (chess player) (born 1945), Scottish chess International Master; writer on chess, software, and games theory
David Levy (economist), American economist and author
David Levy (psychologist) (born 1954), American psychologist, professor, author, actor
David H. Levy (born 1948), Canadian astronomer and science writer
Deborah Levy (born 1959), British playwright, novelist, and poet
Gideon Levy (born 1953), Israeli journalist and author
Hyman Levy (1889–1971), Scottish mathematician, author, and politician
Moshe Levy (author) (born 1948), Iraq-born author, survivor of the Israeli destroyer Eilat
Newman Levy (1888–1966), American lawyer and poet
Oscar Levy (1867–1946), German physician and writer
Paul Levy (journalist) (born 1941), American-British journalist and author
Paul M. G. Lévy (1910–2002), Belgian journalist and professor
Steve Levy (born 1965), ESPN anchor
Steven Levy (born 1951), American technology writer
William Levy (author) (born 1939), American writer

In music[]

Barrington Levy (born 1964), Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist
Dan Levy, French musician and multi-instrumentalist for The Dø
Daniel Levy (pianist) (born 1947), Argentine classical pianist, author and broadcaster
Émile Waldteufel (Charles Émile Lévy, 1837–1911), French composer and court pianist to the Empress Eugénie
Fabien Lévy (born 1968), French composer
General Levy (Paul Levy, born 1971), London born ragga vocalist
Hugo Chula Alexander Levy (born 1981), Thai singer-songwriter
Jacques Levy (1935–2004), American songwriter
James Levy, American singer, songwriter and producer, best known for song Glorious covered by The Pierces
Joshua Levy, pianist and arranger for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Lou Levy (pianist) (1928–2001), American jazz pianist and session man
Louis Levy (1894–1957), English composer and musical director of Gaumont-British studios
Marvin David Levy (1932–2015), American composer
Mike Lévy (born 1985), French musician known as Gesaffelstein
Paul Lhérie (Paul Lévy, 1844–1937), French opera singer
Yasmin Levy (born 1975), Israeli-Spanish singer-songwriter

In other media[]

Bob Levy (comedian) (born 1962), American stand-up comedian and radio personality
Dan Levy (born 1981), American comedian
Maya Cohen Levy (born 1955), Israeli artist
William Alexander Levy (1909–1997), American architect and interior designer
William Auerbach-Levy (1889–1964), Russian-American painter and artist

In business[]

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 (born 1927), 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[]

United States[]

Aaron J. Levy (1881–1955), New York politician and judge
Bob Levy (New Jersey politician) (born 1947), former mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey
David Levy (Israeli politician) (born 1937), Israeli politician
David A. Levy (born 1953), U.S. Representative from New York
Harold O. Levy (1952–2018), American lawyer and businessman
Meyer Levy (1887–1967), New York politician
Norman J. Levy (1931–1998), American politician
Steve Levy (politician) (born 1959), American politician
William M. Levy (1827–1882), U.S. Representative from Louisiana

Other countries[]

Bob Levy (Canadian politician), Canadian politician and judge
Sir Daniel Levy (politician) (1872–1937), Australian lawyer and politician
Hyman Levy (1889–1971), Scottish mathematician, author, and politician
Ian Levy (born 1966), British politician and MP
Jean-Pierre Lévy (born 1935), French diplomat
R. Clifford Levy (1905–1971), Canadian politician

In military[]

André Robert Lévy (1893–1973), French World War I flying ace
Moshe Levy (author) (born 1948), Iraq-born author, survivor of the Israeli destroyer Eilat
Simeon Magruder Levy (1774–1807), US Army officer

In science and academia[]

In biology, medicine, and psychology[]

Carl Edvard Marius Levy (1808–1865), Danish obstetrician
David Levy (psychologist) (born 1954), American psychologist, professor, author, actor
Jerre Levy (born 1938), American psychologist
Julia Levy (born 1934), Canadian microbiologist and immunologist
Oscar Levy (1867–1946), German physician and writer

In mathematics[]

Azriel Lévy (born 1934), Israeli mathematician
Hyman Levy (1889–1971), Scottish mathematician, author, and politician
Paul Lévy (mathematician) (1886–1971), French mathematician
Tony Lévy (born 1943), French historian of mathematics

Other academic fields[]

Bernard-Henri Lévy (born 1948), French public intellectual and journalist
Daniel Levy (sociologist) (born 1962), German–American political sociologist
David Benjamin Levy (fl. 2000s), American musicologist
David Levy (economist), American economist and author
David C. Levy (born 1938), American educator, museum director and art historian
David H. Levy (born 1948), Canadian astronomer and science writer
David M. Levy, American computer scientist at the University of Washington
Gertrude Rachel Levy (1884–1966), British author and cultural historian
Jacob T. Levy (born 1971), American political theorist
[fr] (1922–), French physicist
Moshe Levy (chemist) (1927–2015), Israeli professor of chemistry
Paul M. G. Lévy (1910–2002), Belgian journalist and professor
Pierre Lévy (born 1956), French philosopher, cultural theorist and media scholar
Raphaël-Georges Lévy (1853–1933), French economist
Richard S. Levy (born 1940), American historian and academic
Uriah P. Levy (1792–1862), American sailor and curator

In sport and games[]

Alexander Lévy (born 1990), French golfer
David Levy (chess player) (born 1945), Scottish chess International Master; writer on chess, software, and games theory
David Levy (footballer) (born 1963), Israeli footballer
DeAndre Levy (born 1987), American Detroit Lions linebacker
Edward Lawrence Levy (1851–1932), English world champion weightlifter
Harel Levy (born 1978), Israeli professional tennis player; highest world singles ranking # 30
Len Levy (1921–1999), American football player and professional wrestler
Lenny Levy (1913–1993), American Major League Baseball coach
Marv Levy (born 1925), American and Canadian football coach
Maximilian Levy (born 1987), German track cyclist
Moshe Levy (athlete) (born 1952), Israeli Paralympic athlete
Raphaël Lévy (born 1981), French Magic: The Gathering player
Ronny Levy (born 1966), Israeli football manager
Uriah P. Levy (1792–1862), American sailor and curator

In other fields[]

Bernard Levy, pioneer of kosher certification in the United States
Chandra Levy (1977–2001), American murder victim
David Levy (inventor) (born c. 1967), American inventor and entrepreneur
David L. Levy (1936–2014), American children's rights activist; Board President of Children's Rights Council
Elias Levy (fl. c. 2000), computer security specialist
June Rockwell Levy (1886-1971), American philanthropist
Liza Levy, South Africa-born American Jewish community activist
Ludwig Levy (1854–1907), German architect
Maurice Lévy (1838–1910), French engineer
Yvette Lévy (born 1926), French educator and Holocaust survivor

References[]

^ MacLysaght, Edward (1957). Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. Dublin: Hodges Figgis & Co Ltd. p. 310.
^ 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
^ 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).”

This page lists people with the surname Levy.
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[1] MacLysaght, Edward (1957). Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. Dublin: Hodges Figgis & Co Ltd. p. 310.

[2] 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

[3] 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).”

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