What does the last name "Lefkowitz" means?

Question

Origin/ Meaning would be nice, and whatever else you can include :]

Answer 1

If you're interested, this link if for a message board all about Lefkowitz ancestors.

http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.lefk...

And the info below came from:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Lefk...

LEFKOWITZ Surname Project

According to Alexander Beider's Dictionary of Surnames from the Russian Empire, Lefkowitz derives from Lev (Leib, Lew, Liv) which was a kinnui, a secular symbol meaning lion that was associated with Judah. The hypocorism, or diminutive form, is Levko (Lewko) or Levik (Lewik). Lefkowitz (Lewkowicz, Levkovitz, Levkovich) is the son of Levko. Lewis, Louis, Lewik, Louik, Lyons and Leon are other forms of the name in common usage today.

A similar name with a different derivation is Levak or Lewak. According to Beider, this name means left-handed person.

There was no concept of unique spelling of Jewish names in Eastern Europe, so there may be instances of confusion as to which source one's name derived from. Because of the similarity between names derived from these two different sources, as in Lewik-Lewak or Levkov-Levakov, names that may have derived from either source are included in the project.

If your surname is Lefkowitz or any of its variants, or Lewak/Levak or variants, you are welcome to join the surname project.

Answer 2

Lefkowitz is Jewish.  It is the Germanized version of Lewkowicz.

Polish and Jewish (from Poland): patronymic from the personal name Lewek, a pet form of Lew, meaning ‘lion’ (see Lyon 2). As a Jewish personal name it was used as a Polish equivalent of Yiddish leyb (see Leib 1).

Polish: perhaps also a patronymic from the nickname Lewek ‘left-handed’, a diminutive of Lewy 1.