What was Leo Tolstoy’s full birth name?

Leo Tolstoy’s full birth name was Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy.

He was born on 9 September 1828 at Yasnaya Polyana, the Tolstoy family estate south of Moscow. In Russian, his name is written Лев Николаевич Толстой. “Leo Tolstoy” is the familiar English form, while “Lev Tolstoy” follows the Russian pronunciation more closely.

Tolstoy belonged to the Russian aristocracy and held the hereditary title of count. His parents died while he was still young, and he was raised partly by relatives. He later studied at Kazan University but did not complete a degree.

English-language references often use “Leo,” whereas Russian biographies generally use “Lev.” Both refer to the same novelist, whose major works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina.