Leveson

Leveson is a surname. The name as printed can represent two quite different etymologies and pronunciations:

1. A Leveson family who were Merchants of the Staple became very influential in Wolverhampton in the late Middle Ages, supplying both lay support and clergy to St Peter's Collegiate Church. They were the ancestors of a number of important landed gentry and peers, in various branches, including the Leveson-Gowers. Their name could be rendered in numerous ways in the early modern period: Levison, Leweson, and Luson are all common. To modern readers, the latter represents the pronunciation most accurately. An example of its use is a letter to Robert Cecil, dated 5 August 1602, which reports that "eight of the galleys which fought with Sir Richard Luson were repaired." Leveson is an example of an English surname with counterintuitive pronunciation. The generally accepted pronunciation is /ˈluːsən/ loosen. It is a patronymic from Louis or Lewis.
2. Leveson can also be a patronymic from the Hebrew name Levi, and so is most found among Ashkenazi families. This is generally pronounced as lev-i-sun.