2000
#99,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Levans
A Latinized form of the Hebrew surname Levi, meaning "joined" or "attached."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 236 Americans carry the last name Levans. That puts it at #95,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,452,349 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Levans surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
236
1 in 1,452,349
Census rank
#95,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
206
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 206 bearers of the surname Levans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Levans, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Levans
The surname Levans has its origins traced back to the Anglo-Saxon tribe of Britain, where it was derived from the Old English word "lefan," meaning "to remain" or "to leave." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who had left their homeland or village to settle elsewhere.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lefan." This historical document was a comprehensive record of landholders and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror.
During the Middle Ages, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Levan, Levane, and Levans. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the scribes' interpretations of the name.
The name Levans has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent figure was Sir John Levans (1555-1628), an English diplomat and politician who served as the Secretary of State for the Duchy of Lancaster under King James I.
Another notable bearer of the name was William Levans (1680-1741), a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Principles of the Christian Religion Explained."
In the artistic realm, Edward Levans (1792-1865) was a British painter known for his landscape and genre scenes. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and are now part of prestigious collections.
During the 18th century, the Levans family established themselves in the county of Gloucestershire, where they owned several estates. One prominent member of this branch was Thomas Levans (1725-1799), a successful merchant and landowner.
The surname Levans has also been recorded in various parts of the United States, with early settlers arriving from England and Wales in the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable American bearer of the name was William Levans (1816-1889), a politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1862 to 1865.
While the surname Levans may have evolved over time and spread across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain, where it originally referred to those who had left their homeland or village to settle elsewhere.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Levans
Among Census respondents with the surname Levans, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Levans bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Levans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 161
- Black or African American11.2% · 23
- Two or more races4.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Levans
Levans appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#106,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
-2 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 7,356 places
2020
#95,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+39 bearers (+23.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 11,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,214 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #106,570 | 167 | 0.06 | -2 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 7,356 places |
| 2020 | #95,069 | 206 | 0.07 | +39 bearers (+23.4%) | Up 11,501 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Levans surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #106,570 | #95,069 | 10.8% |
| Count | 167 | 206 | 23.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Levans bearers went from 167 to 206 (+23.4% change). The surname moved up 11,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #106,570 to #95,069.
FAQ
Levans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Levans?
Name Census estimates that about 236 living Americans carry the surname Levans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,452,349 residents.
How common is Levans?
Levans ranks #95,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 206 people with the surname Levans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (236), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Levans.
Has Levans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Levans went from 167 recorded bearers to 206. That is an increase of 39 (+23.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #106,570 to #95,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Levans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Levans, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Levans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Levans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (11.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Levans (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Levans mean?
A Latinized form of the Hebrew surname Levi, meaning "joined" or "attached." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Levans (0.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Levans?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Levans at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.