NameCensus.

UK surname

Levison

An Americanized spelling of the Ashkenazi Jewish surname Levisohn meaning "son of Levi".

In the 1881 census there were 176 people recorded with the Levison surname, ranking it #13,930 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 222, ranked #18,277, down from #13,930 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Widdrington, Woodhorn (Ellington), St Mary Whitechapel and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Westend and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Levison is 314 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.1%.

1881 census count

176

Ranked #13,930

Modern count

222

2016, ranked #18,277

Peak year

1911

314 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Levison had 176 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,930 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016, ranked #18,277.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 314 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Levison surname distribution map

The map shows where the Levison surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Levison surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Levison over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 80 #19,558
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 176 #13,930
1891 historical 220 #13,937
1901 historical 274 #12,370
1911 historical 314 #11,077
1997 modern 228 #16,211
1998 modern 226 #16,800
1999 modern 227 #16,834
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 210 #17,753
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 215 #17,384
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 226 #16,891
2007 modern 225 #17,154
2008 modern 229 #17,092
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 216 #18,492
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 218 #18,478
2016 modern 222 #18,277

Geography

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Where Levisons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Widdrington, Woodhorn (Ellington), St Mary Whitechapel, St Dunstan Stepney, Ormskirk and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Westend, Bolton, Leeds and Barnet. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Widdrington, Woodhorn (Ellington) Northumberland
2 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Ormskirk Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 032 Northumberland
2 Westend Dundee City
3 Bolton 028 Bolton
4 Leeds 012 Leeds
5 Barnet 037 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Levison

These lists show first names that appear often with the Levison surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Levison

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Levison, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Levison surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Levison household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Levison is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Levison is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Levison falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Levison is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Levison, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Levison

The surname Levison is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Levi, which is a Hebrew name meaning "joined" or "attached." The name Levi was likely adopted by English families of Jewish descent during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Levison can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1176, where a certain Levisun is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in Yorkshire, England.

The surname Levison may also have been influenced by the Old Norse name Leifr, which was a common name among the Vikings who settled in parts of England during the 9th and 10th centuries. This could explain some of the variations in spelling, such as Leveson or Levesson.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there is no direct mention of the surname Levison, but there are references to various places with names that could be related, such as Levesham (now Lewisham) in Kent and Levi's Cross in Hertfordshire.

One notable bearer of the name Levison was Sir Richard Levison (c. 1598-1670), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1655-1656. Another was John Levison (1679-1751), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital and Bethlem Royal Hospital.

In the realm of literature, the surname Levison is associated with the American writer and critic J.D. Levison (1866-1938), who was known for his works on Shakespeare and his contributions to literary magazines.

Other notable individuals with the surname Levison include Abraham Levison (1789-1861), a British businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the London Society for Promoting Christianity Among the Jews, and Sir Walter Levison (1876-1947), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements (now Singapore and Malaysia) from 1923 to 1933.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Levison families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Levison surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Northumberland leads with 43 Levisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.74x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 43 16.74x
Durham 36 7.01x
Lancashire 28 1.37x
Middlesex 23 1.33x
Yorkshire 13 0.76x
Gloucestershire 7 2.07x
Cumberland 5 3.36x
Glamorgan 5 1.66x
Kent 5 0.85x
Surrey 3 0.36x
Sussex 3 1.03x
Staffordshire 2 0.34x
Cheshire 1 0.26x
Isle of Man 1 3.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.80x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheetham in Lancashire leads with 15 Levisons recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.17x.

Place Total Index
Cheetham 15 98.17x
Bishopwearmouth 11 24.95x
Leeds 11 11.39x
Chester Le Street 10 253.81x
Ormskirk 10 255.10x
East Thickley 9 865.38x
Mile End Old Town London 7 19.05x
Horton 6 472.44x
North Seaton 6 555.56x
Throphill 6 30000.00x
West Chevington 6 2000.00x
Chirton 5 86.06x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 49.85x
Paddington London 5 7.88x
St Anne Soho London 5 50.71x
Swansea Town 5 20.28x
Higham 4 500.00x
Camberwell 3 2.72x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 19.56x
Ponsonby 3 3000.00x
Shoreditch London 3 4.01x
South Hamlet 3 142.86x
Wotton St Mary 3 170.45x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 2 194.17x
Ellington 2 1538.46x
Holy Trinity 2 4.86x
Warksburn 2 1818.18x
Wolverhampton 2 4.46x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.59x
Bedlington 1 11.66x
Bexhill 1 68.97x
Burton Joyce 1 250.00x
Chelsea London 1 1.92x
Chepstow 1 46.95x
Cramlington 1 29.50x
Cranford 1 333.33x
Elvet 1 26.95x
Hastings St Mary 1 13.81x
Humshaugh 1 357.14x
Kensington London 1 1.04x
Kirkdale 1 2.90x
Lewisham 1 3.18x
Liverpool 1 0.80x
Longbenton 1 9.19x
Longshaws 1 3333.33x
Maisemore 1 344.83x
Morpeth 1 33.11x
Onchan 1 10.82x
Seaton Delaval 1 44.25x
Stayley 1 22.94x
West Stoke 1 1666.67x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Levison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Levison surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 11
William 8
Thomas 7
George 5
James 5
Charles 4
Benjamin 3
Lewis 3
Martin 3
Michael 3
Abraham 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Joseph 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Solomon 2
Alfred 1
Barnietr 1
Benet 1
Cecil 1
David 1
Fisher 1
Harold 1
Herman 1
Ian 1
Isaac 1
Israel 1
Jacob 1
Job 1
Julius 1
Lazarus 1
Louis 1
Marks 1
Max 1
Morris 1
Myer 1
Oswald 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Simon 1
Wm. 1
Wolff 1

FAQ

Levison surname: questions and answers

How common was the Levison surname in 1881?

In 1881, 176 people were recorded with the Levison surname. That placed it at #13,930 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Levison surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016. That gives Levison a modern rank of #18,277.

What does the Levison surname mean?

An Americanized spelling of the Ashkenazi Jewish surname Levisohn meaning "son of Levi".

What does the Levison map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Levison bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.