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Lev as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lev

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The baby name Lev is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'IPA': '/lɛv/ or /lev/', 'respelling': "LEV (rhymes with 'bev')", 'Russian': "approx. /lʲef/ ('lyef')"}.

Lev is Hebrew, Slavic in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Hebrew, Slavic
Pronunciation: {'IPA': '/lɛv/ or /lev/', 'respelling': "LEV (rhymes with 'bev')", 'Russian': "approx. /lʲef/ ('lyef')"}

What is the meaning of the name Lev ?

The baby name Lev is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'IPA': '/lɛv/ or /lev/', 'respelling': "LEV (rhymes with 'bev')", 'Russian': "approx. /lʲef/ ('lyef')"}.

Lev is Hebrew, Slavic in Origin.

Lev is a compact, cross-cultural given name with dual roots. In many Slavic languages (e.g., Russian and Czech), lev is the word for “lion,” aligning it with Leo/Leon; the Bulgarian currency lev shares this root. In Hebrew, לב (lev) means “heart,” a modern, streamlined given name in Israel. Together these strands give Lev a distinctive blend of courage and warmth - lion-hearted in both sense and sound.

Across Eastern Europe the name is long established, borne by novelist Lev (Leo) Tolstoy, physicist Lev Landau, and psychologist Lev Vygotsky. It entered English usage through Jewish and Slavic communities and has recently risen for its brief, modern profile. Variants and related forms include Leo, Leon, Armenian Levon, and the Russian diminutives Lyov/Lyova; Liev reflects Yiddish/Slavic transliteration. Note that Levi is a separate Hebrew name. Nicknames range from Lev and Lyova to the affectionate Lyovushka in Russian.

Lev has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Lev

Lev Kamenev Politician · Born 1883 · Soviet Union Lev Kamenev was a prominent Soviet politician known for his role in the early Soviet government and his association with Lenin and Stalin. He was a key figure in the Bolshevik Party and played a significant part in the October Revolution of 1917. Kamenev later faced political downfall during Stalin's purges.

Lev – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 836
Germany Boys 2024 #1 429
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
SI 0 #79 2 1,612
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
KZ 0 #93 2 1,452
GE Boys 0 #99 11 2,055
EE Boys 0 #102 24 2,087
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
RU Boys 0 #121 1,118 12,621
Switzerland Boys 2024 #125 13 1,769
CY Boys 0 #129 3 3,473
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
LT Boys 0 #136 15 2,166
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
RS Boys 0 #153 2 2,277
RU 0 #156 34 3,641
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #170 5 3,954
Sweden Boys 2022 #179 4 1,509
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
PS 0 #189 30 5,692
IL Boys 0 #197 776 10,983
KZ Boys 0 #203 89 6,578
SI Boys 0 #205 7 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
IL 0 #219 56 6,291
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
PS Boys 0 #233 462 10,655
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
HR Boys 0 #258 2 3,997
Canada Boys 2024 #271 36 2,588
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
CZ Boys 0 #288 17 6,530
TW Girls 0 #288 2 8,139
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
CN Boys 0 #329 3 9,639
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
PL Boys 0 #334 7 6,459
CZ Girls 0 #347 5 5,378
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
France Boys 2021 #373 15 2,865
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
YE 0 #396 3 8,639
France Girls 2021 #398 8 3,185
BO 0 #406 3 6,868
PH Boys 0 #407 2 11,440
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
PH Girls 0 #425 5 13,098
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
RU Girls 0 #478 21 11,913
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
PS Girls 0 #512 12 10,981
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
IR Boys 0 #532 21 10,162
IR Girls 0 #542 4 8,334
HK Boys 0 #555 3 12,905
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
Finland Boys 2026 #580 103 3,552
IL Girls 0 #593 25 11,648
AE Girls 0 #597 1 20,968
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
SG Girls 0 #630 3 18,916
HK Girls 0 #650 1 16,104
United States Boys 2024 #681 213 7,044
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
CL Boys 0 #692 9 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
IT 0 #704 11 4,183
SG Boys 0 #736 4 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #804 3 18,755
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
Germany Boys 0 #889 64 5,697
United States Girls 2024 #908 9 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #911 20 5,610
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
NL Boys 0 #914 38 5,873
PE Boys 0 #918 9 14,506
EG Boys 0 #919 7 15,035
MX Boys 0 #973 10 16,355
CO Boys 0 #976 6 15,656
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
NG Boys 0 #999 3 16,906
EG Girls 0 #1,006 4 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,008 3 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,012 3 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,072 1 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,083 10 22,615
MA 0 #1,119 10 20,986
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,179 4 25,439
TR 0 #1,184 28 19,440
DZ 0 #1,228 7 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,236 1 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,263 5 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,264 9 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,407 65 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,687 5 28,008

Lev is popular in 71 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
Switzerland
France
Sweden

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People also ask about Lev

Lev is predominantly a boy's name.
Lev is a one syllable name, pronounced {'IPA': '/lɛv/ or /lev/', 'respelling': "LEV (rhymes with 'bev')", 'Russian': "approx. /lʲef/ ('lyef')"}.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Liev, Lyev, Levko, Levon, Lyova (diminutive) and Lew.
Yes, very popular — Lev ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Lev ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Lev's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #782 in 2014 to #681 in 2024 in United States.
Yes — 1 notable people named Lev are in our database, including Lev Kamenev (Politician).