What was Levi Strauss's birth name?

Levi Strauss's birth name was Löb Strauß.

He was born on February 26, 1829, in Buttenheim, Bavaria, to a Jewish family. The German spelling uses the character ß, which represents a double “s” sound. After emigrating to the United States, he adopted the name Levi Strauss, the form by which he became famous.

Strauss moved to New York with his mother and siblings in 1847 and later relocated to San Francisco in 1853. There he established a dry-goods business that eventually became Levi Strauss & Co. His company later partnered with tailor Jacob Davis to produce copper-riveted denim work trousers.

A common mix-up is confusing Strauss's birth name with Jacob Davis, who was his business partner and co-patent holder. “Levi Stauss” is simply a misspelling, while “Levi Strauss” is his adopted American name rather than his original one.