2000
#54,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 353
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Levant
A topographic surname referring to someone from the Levant region of the Mediterranean.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 411 Americans carry the last name Levant. That puts it at #60,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 833,952 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Levant 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
411
1 in 833,952
Census rank
#60,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
358
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 358 bearers of the surname Levant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Levant, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Hispanic (15.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Levant
The surname Levant originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French word "levant," meaning "rising" or "east." This name was likely given to someone who lived in the eastern part of a town or region, or possibly an individual who had traveled to or from the Levant region, which encompasses modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and parts of Turkey.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Levant surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Le Vant" and "Le Vante," indicating its French origins.
In the 13th century, a man named Guillaume Levant was mentioned in the records of the city of Marseille, France. He was a merchant who traded with the Levant region, which further reinforces the connection between the surname and the eastern Mediterranean area.
Another notable figure bearing the Levant surname was Jean Levant, a French poet and philosopher who lived in the 16th century (circa 1530-1598). His works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
During the 17th century, the Levant surname appeared in various regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany. One prominent individual from this era was Pierre Levant (1612-1685), a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the 18th century, the Levant surname spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Germany. One noteworthy individual was William Levant (1737-1801), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens.
As the Levant surname continued to disperse across different countries and regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Levante, Levaunt, and Levaunts. Despite these variations, the name's connection to the eastern Mediterranean region remained a common thread throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Levant
Among Census respondents with the surname Levant, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Hispanic (15.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Levant 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 Levant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.0% · 161
- Black or African American35.2% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino15.1% · 54
- Two or more races2.8% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Levant
Levant 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
#56,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 361
+8 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,945 places
2020
#60,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 358
-3 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 4,129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,643 | 353 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,588 | 361 | 0.12 | +8 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 1,945 places |
| 2020 | #60,717 | 358 | 0.12 | -3 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 4,129 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 Levant 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 | #56,588 | #60,717 | -7.3% |
| Count | 361 | 358 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Levant bearers went from 361 to 358 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 4,129 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,588 to #60,717.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Levant
FAQ
Levant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Levant?
Name Census estimates that about 411 living Americans carry the surname Levant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 833,952 residents.
How common is Levant?
Levant ranks #60,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 358 people with the surname Levant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (411), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Levant.
Has Levant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Levant went from 361 recorded bearers to 358. That is a decrease of 3 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,588 to #60,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Levant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Levant, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.2%) and Hispanic (15.1%). 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 Levant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.0% (161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Levant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.0%), Black (35.2%), Hispanic (15.1%). 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 Levant (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 Levant mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone from the Levant region of the Mediterranean. 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 Levant (0.12 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 many people share the surname Levant?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.