Livingston
A Scottish place-name surname from Livingston in West Lothian, originally meaning “Leving’s town.”
The #821 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,333 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname comes from the place called Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland. Historical sources explain it as meaning the settlement or town associated with a man named Leving or Living, with the final element being Old English -tūn, “farm, settlement, town.” In other words, it began as a habitational name for someone from that place. The older spelling Livingston and the later form Livingstone are both found in use.
History
The name was borne by the noble family associated with the barony of Livingston in West Lothian, and from there it spread more widely in Scotland and beyond. Later bearers carried it to North America and other English-speaking regions, where Livingston became the more common spelling in many families. Some Irish and Scottish records also show related variant forms and occasional re-interpretations.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is closely tied to a real place in Scotland, and historical sources note both Livingston and Livingstone as established spellings for the same family tradition.
From the historical record
“1789. Married— Alex. 0>wie and Sarah Livingston : St Geo. Han. Sq. ii. 29. London, i, 5; Boston (U.S.), 4, 2$. Uewellin, UeweUyn, IJew- ellen, Uewallen. — Bapt. *the”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)