Surname Leather - Meaning and Origin
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Leather: What does the surname Leather mean?
The last name Leather is of British origin and is believed to have originated with the Anglo-Saxon population of medieval Britain. It is a habitational surname derived from a place-name. These place-names are derived from Old English forms such as the words 'lether' or 'laedre', which refer to a clearing in a wood or forest. As a surname, Leather denotes either a person who lived in or near such a clearing, or someone who worked with leather or tanned hides.
The Leather surname was likely first found in Yorkshire, where the family was seated from very early times. It was probably first established in Scotland as the name was generally found in records prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066 A.D. As populations grew larger, a multitude of surnames developed and many were later Anglicized. Throughout the centuries, Leathers have contributed to the development of their community and have safeguarded their family name as it has evolved throughout time.
The Leathers in Britain today are a respected and established family, seen in several fields of endeavour, from the military, educational, and artistic fields to business, politics, and the church. The surname has spread throughout Britain and abroad and can now be found in several countries around the world. The Leather surname still carries the same spirit of pride and nobility that has been an integral part of the family for centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisLeather: Where does the name Leather come from?
The last name Leather is most commonly associated with England and Ireland. Records show that Leather is one of the 30 most common surnames in both countries. In England, it is believed that the name originated from the Saxon name “Leather”, which was derived from the Old English word “Leoder”, meaning one who comes from a hill. In Ireland, the name is believed to be an adaptation of the Irish Gaelic Mac an Leodaigh, meaning “son of the Leather”.
Leather is particularly common in several counties in Ireland, particularly the County Roscommon. Additionally, clusters of the name are found in Yorkshire, Durham, and Lancashire in England. In America, the Leather family can be traced to four main countries of origin: Germany, Ireland, England, and Wales. The first settlers in America named Leather can be traced back to the early 1600s, with John Leather arriving in Boston in 1634.
Leather is still widely found throughout the United Kingdom and America. However, it is slowly becoming less common, and many of its derivatives, such as Leder, Lederer, and Leuders, are now rarely used as surname.
Variations of the surname Leather
The Leather surname is of English origin, first found in Lancashire. It is derived from the Middle English word "lether," which meant "tanned leather." Variants of the Leather surname include Leathers and Lether. Spelling variations include Lather, Lathern, Latheer, Lathers and others. In some cases, it is possible that the Leather Name is derived from a topographic name for someone who lived on a sloping hill or meadow. Alternatively, it might have been derived from a nickname or descriptive name for someone who wore leather armor or worked with leather.
Variants of Leather, from different origins, include the Germanic Leder and the Dutch Ledder. In Irish, the surname is spelled Leithir, which is a variation of the original Irish Gaelic or Old Gaelic form of the name. The Scots Gaelic version of Leather is Mac Leoid.
In addition, there are other surnames which can be traced to the same origin as Leather- Leathem, Latter, Lateham, and Letsom. The surname is also present in various spellings throughout the world, especially in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Immigrants from all these countries have kept their traditional naming conventions, while adapting some of the more contemporary spellings.
Although they all originate from the same English name, the variant and spelling variations of the Leather name have created distinct surnames over the years. It is possible that the differentspellings have evolved over time, and that variations of the Leather surname have moved across the world as a result of emigration and immigration. Furthermore, many different cultures around the world have adopted the name, leading to an incredibly diverse heritage for the Leather surname.
Famous people with the name Leather
- Tony Leather: English professional footballer.
- Jackie Leatherberry: American basketball player.
- Judy Leather: English film and television actress.
- Carol Leather: British Olympic field hockey player.
- Roy Leather: British professional snooker player.
- Taylor Leathers: American figure skater.
- Kit Leather: English professional darts player.
- Jody Leather: English singer-songwriter.
- Emma Leather: British sprint canoer.
- Sean Leather: British mixed martial artist.
- Dimitri Leatherwood: American football player.
- Kristen Leathers: American ballet dancer.
- Dean Leather: English professional footballer.
- Barry Leather: English professional cricketer.
- Tanya Leather: English model.
- Kenny Leather: American jazz drummer.
- Richard Leather: English psychology writer, researcher, and teacher.
- Jonathan Leathers: American experimental film maker.
- George Leather: American basketball player and coach.
- Terry Leather: English professional rugby league player.