Lauv

Birth Name: Ari Staprans Leff

Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States

Date of Birth: August 8, 1994

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*Latvian (mother)

Lauv is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for his song “I Like Me Better.”

Ari’s father, Stuart Leff, is Jewish American. Ari’s mother, Silvija, is Latvian. His stage name derived from the word “lauve,” which means “lion” in Latvian. He was partly raised in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ari’s paternal grandfather was Sanford Leonard Leff (the son of Harry Leff and Sarah Kohn). Harry was a Polish Jewish emigrant, from Łomża, Podlaskie, and was the son of Daron Leff and Leah Grunstein. Sarah was a Czech Jewish emigrant, from Želnava, Prachatice District, South Bohemian Region, and was the daughter of Meyer Jacob Kohn and Zypa “Sadie” Feimehl (also known as Goldsmith).

Ari’s paternal grandmother was Seena Sylvia Glaser (the daughter of Nathan Lefo Glaser and Anna Ella Silverman). Seena was born in Washington, D.C. Nathan was the son of a Lithuanian Jewish immigrant, Mendel “Michael” Glaser, and of Latvian Jewish immigrant, Ida Sarah Fine. Anna was the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, Samuel Silverman and Sarah Rappaport (also known as Drew).

Ari’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Staprāns.

Sources: Interview about Lauv’s ancestry – https://nyulocal.com

Marriage record of Lauv’s parents – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Lauv’s paternal great-grandparents, Harry Leff and Sarah Kohn – https://familysearch.org

Lauv’s paternal grandmother, Seena Sylvia Glaser, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org