Liev

Liev - A very unique male name

Liev appeared on the charts for the first time in 2010 on position #3097. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Liev and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Liev? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Liev. The baby boy name Liev was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #4139 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Liev peaked in popularity 10 years ago in 2016 on position 2136.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Liev, 1-5?

Liev is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Liev is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,662 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,662.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Liev is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Liev origin and meaning

Yiddish and Slavic form related to Lev / Leo

From Yiddish Leyb / Slavic Lev tradition, 'lion' — the form used by actor Liev Schreiber's family

Liev is the transliterated form of a Yiddish and East European name meaning 'lion,' cognate with Lev and Leo. US use begins only in 2010, after Liev Schreiber's prominence, and peaked in 2016. It is a heritage form, not an invention.

Attested etymology

Liev is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Liev, pop culture references for the name Liev and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Liev

We've found the following names that sound similar to Liev, sorted by popularity.

Levi / Leif / Lupe / Lev / Levy / Lipa / Leib / Luby / Lavi / Levie /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Liev

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Liev a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Liev?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

LEE-ev · /ˈliːɛv/

Around the world

• Lieb (Yiddish) — Related Yiddish form, 'lion / beloved'

Spellings and nicknames

• Lev — Russian and Hebrew form
• Leo — Cognate classic form

Famous bearers

• Liev Schreiber — American actor known for Ray Donovan and film work (b. 1967) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Liev for a short, distinctive 'lion' name with East European roots.

Worth knowing

• Often misread as Levi or 'leave'; pronunciation needs explaining.