Levin (original Russian: Левин) is a surname with several word origins. It is a common Ashkenazi Jewish surname (Levine/Levin/Levi).
In the Jewish variant (a form 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 Лёва.
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
A. Leo Levin (1919–2015), American law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School Adam K. Levin, former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and businessman in consumer credit-related businesses Adam Levin, fiction author Alan Levin (business), American businessmen, CFO of drug maker Pfizer Alan Levin (filmmaker) (1926–2006), American filmmaker and journalist Alan Levin (Internet governance), South African computer scientist and Internet activist Aleksandr Mitrofanovich Levin (1871–1929), Russian chess player Alter Levin (1883–1933), Hebrew writer and poet Andy Levin (born 1960), US Democratic Representative from Michigan; son of Sander and nephew of Carl Arnold Levin, New Yorker cartoonist Bengt Levin (1958–2020), Swedish orienteering competitor Benjamin Levin (born 1988), American record producer and songwriter known professionally as Benny Blanco Bernard Levin, (1928–2004), British writer and broadcaster Beth Levin (linguist), American linguist Beth Levin (musician), American pianist Bobby Levin, American bridge player Burton Levin (1930 – 2016), American diplomat, former Ambassador to Burma Camille Levin (born 1990), American soccer player Carl Levin (1934–2021), US Democratic Senator from Michigan; brother of Sander Levin, cousin of Charles Levin and uncle of Andy Levin Charles Levin (actor) (1949–2019), American actor Charles Levin (judge) (1926–2020), American jurist; cousin of Carl and Sander Levin Corey Levin (born 1994), American football player Daniel Levin (attorney) (active 2004–2005), Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Justice Department Daniel Levin (writer) (born ), American attorney and novelist David L. Levin (born 1949), American politician from Missouri David Levin (businessman) (born 1962), British businessman David Levin (born 1999), Israeli ice hockey player David Levin (singer), American singer-songwriter David N. Levin (1948–2017), American balloonist David P. Levin (born 1958), American producer, director, writer and editor Diane Levin (born 1947), American author and educator Diane Levin, American author and educator Eyal Levin (born 1986), Israeli Olympic sailor Ezra G. Levin, American lawyer Fred Levin (1937–2021), American lawyer Gabe Levin (born 1994), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Gerald M. Levin (born 1939), American businessman with Time Warner Gilbert Levin, American engineer Hanoch Levin (1943–1999), Israeli writer and theater director Harold Levin, American violist, composer, and conductor Harry Levin (1912–1994), American literary critic Harvey Levin, TV and movie producer Hjördis Levin (born 1930), Swedish historian and author Ingeborg Levin, German geoscientist and climatologist Ira Levin (1929–2007), American novelist, playwright and songwriter