Loyew arose on the site of an ancient settlement of the Dregoviches within Principality of Chernigov. The settlement was situated on the route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The first mention of the Loyew goes back to 1505 and it was known as Loyewa Hara (Loyew Hill). The name is probably derived from the Abkhaz-Adyghe surname Loo. The town is known for the Battle of Loyew of July 31, 1649 during the Khmelnytsky Uprising. After the division of the Rzecz Pospolita in 1793, it became a part of the Russian Empire. According to the results of the census held in 1897 the town had 4,667 inhabitants, among them 2150 Jews. There were 251 farms, 9 mills, 24 shops, 1 school, 1 post-office, 2 orthodox churches, 1 catholic church and 1 synagogue.