| Levi | Ezra | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | joined, attached | help |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LEE-vye | EZ-rah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2022 (9,869) | 2024 (8,822) |
| In 2025 | 9,642 | 8,126 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Levi | Ezra |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 57,122 | 47,728 |
| 2010s | 78,001 | 38,650 |
| 2000s | 29,477 | 8,326 |
| 1990s | 20,408 | 2,854 |
| 1980s | 12,648 | 1,755 |
| 1970s | 3,798 | 1,271 |
| 1960s | 1,501 | 588 |
| 1950s | 1,997 | 677 |
| 1940s | 1,774 | 574 |
| 1930s | 1,842 | 819 |
| 1920s | 2,396 | 1,373 |
| 1910s | 1,773 | 1,081 |
| 1900s | 664 | 304 |
| 1890s | 685 | 405 |
| 1880s | 927 | 356 |
From the Hebrew verb lawah, 'to join, attach, accompany.' Genesis 29:34 explains the name by Leah's hope that her husband will now be 'joined' to her — a biblical folk etymology, but one that rests on the genuine root l-w-h.
From Hebrew ezra, 'help, aid' (root '-z-r). Borne by the scribe of the biblical Book of Ezra. Likely a shortened theophoric name (compare Azariah, 'Yahweh has helped'), with the divine element dropped.
Levi is more popular than Ezra today: about 9,642 US babies were given the name Levi in 2025, compared with 8,126 named Ezra.
Levi means joined, attached (hebrew origin), while Ezra means help (hebrew origin).
In US records, Levi first appears in 1880 and Ezra in 1880, so Levi has the longer recorded history.