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Show ContentsLevin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The history of the Levin family goes back to the Medieval landscape of northwestern France, to the regions known as Brittany and Normandy. The name Lavigne is derived from the Old French word "vigne," meaning "vine," and as such it is likely that the first bearers of this name owned or worked on a vineyard. 1

Early Origins of the Levin family

The surname Levin was first found in Brittany where they held a family seat in the seigneury of Haute Morays.

They later branched to Houle in that same province. They were closely allied to this latter House of Houlle de Kermassonet. Branching to the region of Tournai they intermarried with the family of Hennebert. Branches were later found in Maine, Le Mans, Bourbonnais, Guyenne, and Artois. In the south of France they held a family seat in the region of Languedoc at Puylaroque.

Joseph Lavigne, son of Pierre and Jeanne (née Gazaille), settled in Contrecoeur, Quebec and married Marie-Anne Gareau on 12th November 1727. 2

Early History of the Levin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Levin research. More information is included under the topic Early Levin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Levin Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of French surnames; in part, as spelling, and the spelling names was not yet standardized during the early development of the written French language. Later, there was much branching and movement of families, and spellings would change according to region. Variations of the name Levin include Lavigne, Levine, Levin, Levigne, Levigny, Laveine, Lavignes, Lavene, Des Vignes, deVigne, Devignes, Devigne, De lavigne and many more.

Early Notables of the Levin family

More information is included under the topic Early Levin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Levin Ranking

In the United States, the name Levin is the 2,310th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3 However, in Russia, the name Levin is ranked the 851st most popular surname with an estimated 21,481 people with that name. 4

United States Levin migration to the United States +

Approximately 110 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. France gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. Migration to New France (Quebec) continued from France until it fell in 1759. In the year 1675 the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Levin has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Levin were

Levin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lewis Levin, who arrived in South Carolina in 1824

New Zealand Levin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Levin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Nathaniel William Levin, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Robert Levin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1859 5
  • Lewis Levin, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Schiehallion" in 1872

Contemporary Notables of the name Levin (post 1700) +

  • Gerald M. Levin (1939-2024), American media businessman, best known for brokering the merger between AOL and Time Warner in 2000
  • Fredric Gerson Levin (1937-2021), American plaintiffs' lawyer in the state of Florida, Chairman of Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor, P.A, a law firm in Northwest Florida, he died from COVID-19
  • Charles Leonard Levin (1926-2020), American jurist, Michigan Court of Appeals judge from 1966 to 1972 and
  • Ida Levin (1963-2016), American concert violinist
  • Ira Levin (1929-2007), American author, dramatist and songwriter
  • Janna J. Levin (b. 1967), American theoretical cosmologist
  • Beth Levin (b. 1950), American classical pianist
  • Alan Levin (1926-2006), three-time Emmy Award-winning American filmmaker and journalist
  • Haim Levin (1937-2024), Israeli football goalkeeper
  • Mr. Lazarus J. Levin, British Councillor, held the position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1940 to 1941
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Triangle Waist Company
  • Miss Jennie Levin (b. 1892), Russian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 6

Suggested Readings for the name Levin +

  • The History and Record of the Families Levin, Garber, Rynland by Marilyn Lane Taylor.
  1. Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
  2. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Russia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/russia/surnames
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire

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