What is the official currency of Bulgaria, whose name means “lion” in Bulgarian?

The official currency of Bulgaria, whose name means “lion” in Bulgarian, is the Bulgarian lev.

The word lev comes from the Bulgarian word лъв, meaning “lion.” Bulgaria introduced the lev in 1881, after establishing a national monetary system following independence from the Ottoman Empire. Its value was originally linked to the French franc under the Latin Monetary Union system.

One lev is divided into 100 stotinki. The plural form commonly used in English is leva, although lev is the standard singular name. Bulgarian banknotes and coins feature national figures, landmarks, and cultural symbols.

The lev should not be confused with the Romanian leu, whose name also derives from the word for “lion.” Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, but the lev remains its currency; the euro has not replaced it as of 2026.