WHat is the correct spelling in English of the Hebrew name "Levi" is it "Levi" or "Levy"? And Why? TKS

There are many variations of the original Hebrew name "Levi"....





Levi, L茅vy - Hebrew for "Levite", equally common in Ashkenazic and Sephardic groups.





HaLevi, Halevi and Halevy are Hebrew language and all translate to "the Levi" or "the Levite."





Levin - a Russian variation, also Levine or Lavine (pronounced \le-掳v膿n\, rhyming with "ravine" or in some cases, anglicised as \l蓹-掳v墨n\ rhyming with "divine") and Lewin a Polish variation. Sometimes supplemented with German 'thal' (valley) to Levinthal or Leventhal and -sohn and -son to Levinson or Levinsohn as a patronymic, and with slavic -ski and -sky suffixes Levinski, Levinsky, Lewinski and Lewinsky (the 'e' often replaced with 'a' in German areas).





Lewicki Polish "of the Levites", also Lewicka, Lewycka, Lewycki, Lewycky, Lewicky, Levicki, Levicky (can also originate from placenames in Poland).





Lewita Polish "Levite" or Levita latinized, with Slavic suffix -an/in Lewitan, Levitan, Levitin, Lewitin, and with additional suffix -ski/sky Levitanski, Lewitanski, Levitansky, also Lewitas, Levitas, Belarusian.





Variants from yiddish "Leyvik", a pet form of Leyvi: Levitch Ukrainian variant, also Levicz, Levis, Levitz, Lewicz, Lewitz, Lewis, and with -ski and -sky suffixes Leviczky, Levitski, Levitsky, Lewitski and Lewitsky ('e' and 's' often replaced with 'a' and 'z' in German areas).





Loewy, L枚wi, L枚wy, and Loewe German or Swiss variations (although the usual origin for these names is Loewe, the German word for "lion").





Leevi - a Finnish variation.





Levinger is a very rare family name most probably derived from the name Levi.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levite


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levinger_%2...





Here are some more variations:


L茅vis, L茅vi, L茅vie, Le Vie, de L茅vis, de L茅vie, de L茅vis, L茅vy, Levison, Levisonne, Levisonnes, Levisson......http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.fc/qx...

WHat is the correct spelling in English of the Hebrew name "Levi" is it "Levi" or "Levy"? And Why? TKS
As it's a transliteration either is correct as it's to do with the pronounciation, not the spelling.
Reply:The first answer is good. But in short both Levi and Levy would be right, as they transliterate the same and it is correct transliteration

old maid