Surname Liepin - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'L'
Liepin: What does the surname Liepin mean?
The surname Liepin is believed to be of Lithuanian origin. It is thought to be derived from the Jewish personal name Lewin, which is a version of the name Levi. In Jewish folklore it is associated with great prosperity and wealth and was the name of one of the twelve sons of Jacob in the Book of Genesis.
The literal translation of Liepin is ‘belonging to Levi’ and indicates that the original bearer of the name was the descendant of someone known as Levi. It could have also been an occupational name referring to a tailor, likely derived from the Yiddish word Lewinshler or ‘tailor’. This is consistent with the early records of the surname, which showed numerous Liepins in Jewish communities throughout Lithuania in the 15th century.
It is likely that Liepin was brought to England during the 17th century by Eastern European Jews. Since then, the Liepin family has spread around the world, taking on a variety of spellings such as LIAPINE, LEPIN, LYABIN, and LEAPIN.
The Liepin surname is a symbol of religious identity, ethnic heritage and family roots, and even today, many descendants of the Liepin family around the world proudly bear this distinguished emblem.
Order DNA origin analysisLiepin: Where does the name Liepin come from?
The surname Liepin is most commonly found in Latvia and Lithuania. This particular surname originated in the Lithuanian region of Suvalkija, which is located on the Lithuanian-Polish border.
The historical origins of this surname date back to at least the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Liepin name was one of the first to be recorded in the Suvalkija region. This suggests that Lithuanian families with the Liepin surname were amongst the first settlers in this region, and that the family had established roots early.
Today, Liepin is one of the most popular surnames in both Latvia and Lithuania. In Lithuania, the current distribution indicates that the surname is most commonly found in and around Vilnius, Klaipeda, Siauliai, and Panevezys. In Latvia, the surname is mainly concentrated in Riga and the Latgale region. While Liepin may also be found in other countries around the world, it has been estimated that the majority of people with this surname are residing either in Latvia or Lithuania.
In addition, records from the Latvian language newspapers from the 19th century suggest that the Liepin name was quite prevalent even then. This suggests that the Liepin surname has remained distinct and popular in Latvia and Lithuania for many generations.
Variations of the surname Liepin
The surname Liepin is a Russian surname. It is usually spelled in the Cyrillic alphabet as Лепин. It is derived from the Russian word “лепый” which means “elegant”, “graceful”, or “handsome”.
Variants of the surname Liepin include Lepin, Ljepin, and Lepine. In other languages, the surname can also be spelt as Lepien, Lepinne, Lepinh, and Lapine.
Surnames of the same origin include Ljepinich, Lepikov, and Lepinska. These surnames could have originated from the root word “леп” which means “to plaster”.
Liepin is a relatively uncommon surname. Its variants and related surnames are also rare, which suggests that they may have once been quite common, but are now not in use. This is not an unusual phenomenon considering the political and social changes that have occurred in Russia over the past few centuries.
Famous people with the name Liepin
- Mārtiņš Liepiņš, Latvian historian and writer.
- Jānis Liepiņš, former Latvian basketball player.
- Ralfs Liepiņš, Latvian violinist.
- Uvis Liepiņš, Latvian academic and politician.
- Miķelis Liepiņš, Latvian politician.
- Kaspars Liepiņš, Latvian football midfielder.
- Pēteris Liepiņš, Latvian professional basketball player.
- Miķelis Liepiņš, Latvian mathematician.
- Reinholds Liepiņš, former Latvian diplomat.
- Mārcis Liepiņš, Latvian artist.
- Vilis Liepiņš, Latvian chess player and theoretician.
- Juta Liepiņš-Smilts, Latvian actress.
- Kristers Liepiņš, Latvian javelin thrower.
- Oskars Liepiņš, Latvian Olympic weightlifting champion.
- Ivars Liepiņš, Latvian film director and cinematographer.
- Ilmārs Liepiņš, Latvian economist and banker.
- Jānis Liepiņš, former Latvian athlete and soccer player.
- Ritvars Liepiņš, Latvian nordic skier, multiple winner of various competitions.
- Āris Liepiņš, Latvian professional basketball coach and manager.
- Edgars Liepiņš, Latvian opera singer.