I don't know.
Levi Strauss was a
German Jew, so it might be old
German or Yiddish. I'm not even sure if he chose
Levi because it's the correct translation of Löb or if he just picked a short biblical and more international name that also started with an L. Löb and Loeb seem to be common last names though.
ETA: I'll ask on the Name Facts Board, maybe they can help.
This message was edited 1/21/2011, 12:02 AM